


The Taste of Loneliness

by samsimpala



Series: The Messenger of God Saga [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s), Mutual Pining, OC, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Sam Winchester/OC - Freeform, Season 2, Series Rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:41:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 78,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26015914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samsimpala/pseuds/samsimpala
Summary: In Oregon, the boys run across a hunter from a long line named Angela Morgan. What happens when the Winchesters find out she has visions just like Sam? More importantly, what else will they find out about her and her past? And can she top herself from falling in love with one of the boys? Find out what happens in TToL! Revision on season 2. Hints of Sam/OC
Relationships: Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Messenger of God Saga [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888270
Kudos: 15





	1. Croatoan Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all!! This is a series that I've been working on since 2013, and it was originally posted on another website. However, I wanted to move all of my work over to this site. I hope you enjoy! Also, for visual reference, I've always imagined Angela looking a bit like Michelle Trachtenberg :)

**A/N: Hello, everyone! This is the first installment in my new series The Messenger of God Saga, it will involve my OC, a hunter named Angela Morgan, and is a revision of Season 2. The story will follow the perspective of Sam, Dean, and Angela, so some scenes may be cut out, but I'm assuming most of you have seen the show. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own Supernatural or the character. I just own Angela. :)**

~/~\~

_Dean was in a dim hallway, Angela running after him. He slid out the clip of his gun and quickly replaced it. He opened the door revealing a Crater Lake poster on the wall, a young blond man tied to a chair, a young woman, a middle-aged woman, and a tough-looking black man. The blond man looked up as Dean entered the room, Angela walking in after him. Dean raised the gun and immediately the blond started babbling._

_“No, no, no, no, no, you’re not gonna… no, I swear!” the blond exclaimed. “It’s not in me!”_

_“Oh God! We’re all gonna die!” The young woman said._

_“Maybe he’s tellin’ the truth.” The black man commented, looking at Dean._

_Dean started advancing, cocking the gun. “He’s not him, not anymore.”_

_“No, stop it! Stop it!” the blond cried. “Ask her, ask the Doctor! It’s not in me!”_

_“I just… I can’t tell.” The middle-aged woman mumbled._

_“No, please, don’t. Don’t. I swear, I,” the blond begged._

_“Dean, look at him! It’s not in him!” Angela yelled._

_Dean glanced at her and shook his head. “I got no choice.”_

_The blond started sobbing heavily. “She’s right, I swear, it’s not in me, it’s not in me!” he practically begged. “Don’t, don’t. Please!”_

_However, the man’s begging didn’t matter… Dean fired twice._

~/~\~

Sam was lying on the floor beside a motel bed and came out of the most recent vision he had. The door opened and Dean walked inside and was chewing on jerky and carrying a six-pack of beer. Sam sat up, panting.

“Sam?” Dean asked concern in his voice.

“No…” he breathed.

~/~\~

Dean was driving the Impala, and Sam was navigating with the GPS.

 _“Continue on O-R Two-Two-Four West.”_ The GPS directed.

“There are only two towns in the US named Rivergrove,” Sam commented.

“How come you’re so sure it’s the one in Oregon?” Dean asked, raising a brow.

Sam had a flashback to the vision, the Oregon poster on the wall. “There was a picture. Crater Lake.” 

“Okay, what else?” Dean pressed.

“I saw a dark room, some people, and a guy tied to a chair,” Sam said.

“And I ventilated him?” Dean asked.

“Yeah. You thought there was something inside of him.” Sam nodded. “But this other woman was trying to convince you not to shoot him.” 

“What, a demon? Was he possessed?” Dean asked. “And what woman? Do we know her?” he added, curiosity in his voice.

Sam shrugged. “I don’t know. And no, I don’t think so… She didn’t look familiar.”

“Well, all your weirdo visions are always tied to the Yellow-Eyed Demon somehow…” Dean replied. “So was there any black smoke? Did we try to exorcise it?”

“No. Nothing, you just plugged him after that woman told you not to, that’s it.” Sam shrugged.

“Well, I’m sure I had a good reason,” Dean mumbled.

“I sure hope so,” Sam replied.

Dean looked at him with a frown. “What does that mean? I mean, I’m not gonna waste an innocent man.” 

Sam just raised his eyebrows and remained silent.

“I wouldn’t!” Dean exclaimed.

“I never said you would!” Sam retorted.

“Fine!” Dean replied.

“Fine!” Sam said with a huff. “Look, we don’t know what it is. But whatever it is, that guy in the chair’s a part of it. So let’s find him, and see what’s what.”

“Fine,” Dean said.

“Fine.” Sam nodded in agreement.

~/~\~

The Winchesters pulled into town past a large billboard advertising Crater Lake. They pulled up in front of a wooden shop; out front, the older man from the vision was cleaning a rifle; he wore a short-sleeved blue shirt with a multi-pocket brown vest.

Sam and Dean got out and approached him. As they got closer they noticed a shorter woman across from him, pulling out a badge. She had long brown hair that curled at the bottom and was wearing a red button-up shirt, jeans, and combat boots.

“That’s the woman who tried to stop you from shooting the guy in my vision,” Sam whispered to Dean.

Dean nodded before he greeted the man and woman. "Morning."

The man and the woman both looked at them. The woman frowned slightly, her brows furrowing slightly, almost as if she recognized them.

“Good morning.” The man replied. “Can I help you?”

Dean noticed the woman’s badge. “Yeah.” He nodded, pulling out his own. “Uh, Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard. U.S. Marshals.” He said. “We’re her partners.” He gestured to the woman.

She guessed she would just have to play along with his lie… She looked back at the man and nodded. “Yeah, they’re just a bit late, that’s all.”

He nodded. “Right. What’s this about?”

“We’re looking for someone,” Dean replied.

Sam looked at Angela as Dean spoke. He noticed that she was rather pretty… well, _really_ pretty.

“A young man, early twenties,” Angela informed.

Sam frowned at how she knew that, and he flashed back to the vision. “He’d have a, a thin scar right below his hairline.”

The man frowned. “What’d he do?”

“Well, nothing,” Sam replied. “We’re actually looking for someone else, but we think this young man could help us.”

“Yeah, he’s not in any kind of trouble or anything; well, not yet,” Dean replied. He glanced at the man’s left arm, which showed a distinctive tattoo. “I think maybe you know who he is… Master Sergeant.” Dean smiled slightly. “My dad was in the Corps, he was a Corporal.”

“What company?” the man asked.

“Echo-2-1,” Dean replied.

“So can you help us?” Sam asked.

The man hesitated. “Duane Tanner’s got a scar like that.” He replied. “But I know him. Good kid keeps his nose clean.”

“Oh, I’m sure he does.” Angela smiled softly. “Um. You know where he lives?”

“With his family, us Aspen Way.” The man replied.

“Thank you,” Angela replied sincerely before she glanced at the Winchesters. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, I’d like to talk to my partners.”

The man nodded, frowning as they left.

~/~\~

In the middle of the empty road, she stopped the two.

“Why’re you two here?” she demanded.

“Well, we could ask the same about you, sweetheart.” He scoffed indignantly. “Who are you anyway?”

“My name’s Angela Morgan.” She replied. “But you two popping up here? It’s weird…”

“We’re Sam and Dean Winchester,” Dean introduced. “And why is it so weird for us to be here?” 

She sighed. “Do you ever get those de ja vu moments? Like you feel like something’s happened before?” she asked. “Because it happens to me a lot, except everything in that de ja vu moment comes true… It’s like a vision or something…”

Sam frowned. “I get those too…” he replied. “Let me guess, your last vision had something to do with a blond man tied to a chair, and my brother killing him?” 

She nodded quickly. “Yeah, yeah. It was exactly that….When did yours start?” 

“About a year ago…” he replied. “I’m guessing that’s around the same time they started for you…”

She nodded in confirmation. “Spot on. So, I’m guessing you boys are hunters like me. Maybe we should team up on this one?"

Sam and Dean looked at each other, almost as if they were having a silent conversation. They didn't know this Angela chick, but she may be connected to the Yellow-Eyed-Demon as well.

"Fine," Dean relented. "Let's go."

The trio started walking again, only for Sam to bump into a telephone pole. He glanced at it in passing. He stopped; carved into the wood was a single word: CROATOAN.

The three approached the pole and Sam pointed at the word with a significant look.

“Hey.” He called out.

“Croatoan?” Dean asked, raising a brow.

“Yeah.” Sam nodded. He just received a blank look from Dean. “Roanoke? Lost colony? Ring a bell?” he asked. “Dean, did you pay any attention in history class?”

“Yeah! Shots heard ‘round the world, How bills become laws…”

“That’s not school, that’s Schoolhouse Rock,” Angela smirked.

Dean rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” 

“Roanoke was one of the first English colonies in America, late 1500s?” Sam replied.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, I do remember that.” Dean nodded. “The only thing they left behind was a single word carved in a tree. Croatoan.”

“Yeah. And I mean, there were theories, Indian raid, disease, but nobody knows what really happened.” Sam said. “They were all just gone. I mean, wiped out overnight.”

“You don’t think that’s what’s going on here, I mean…” Dean trailed off.

“Whatever Sam and I saw in our heads, it sure wasn’t good.” Angela murmured. “But what do you think could do that?”

“Well, I mean, like I told Sam, all of his weirdo visions are always tied to the Yellow-Eyed Demon somehow, so yours might be, too.” 

Before Angela could ask about the Yellow-Eyed Demon, Sam spoke up.

“We should get help. Bobby, uh, Ellen maybe?” 

Dean nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.” He replied, taking out his cellphone and frowned. “I don’t have signal.”

Sam and Angela pulled at their phones and shook their heads.

“I don’t either,” Sam replied.

“Neither do I,” Angela said.

They walked to a payphone, which Dean picked up. They heard the ‘out of service’ beeping, and Dean clicked the receiver several times.

“Line’s dead,” Dean commented with a sigh. “I’ll tell you one thing. If I was gonna massacre a town, that’d be my first step.” 

~/~\~

The Impala was parked outside of a cabin, and the three approached the front. By the door was a small, tacky plaque that read ‘BORN TO FISH; FORCED TO WORK’. Sam knocked on the door, and a teenage boy with dark spiked hair opened it.

“Yeah?” the boy asked.

Dean flashed his badge. “We’re looking for Duane Tanner; he lives here, right?”

The boy nodded. “Yeah, he’s my brother.”

“Can we talk to him?” Angela asked.

“Oh, he’s not here right now.” The boy replied.

“Do you know where he is?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, he went on a fishing trip up by Roslyn Lake.” The boy said.

“Your parents home?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, they’re inside.”

“Jake? Who is it?” Mr. Tanner asked from inside.

Dean looked at Mr. Tanner as he appeared. “Hi, U.S. Marshals, sir, we’re looking for your son Duane.”

“Wh-Why? He’s not in trouble, is he?” Mr. Tanner frowned.

“No, no, no, no,” Angela replied. “We just need to ask him a couple of routine questions, that’s all.”

“When’s he due back from his trip?” Sam asked.

“I’m not sure.” Mr. Tanner replied.

“Well, maybe your wife knows,” Sam suggested.

“No, I don’t know, she’s not here right now.” Mr. Tanner told him.

“Your son said she was,” Angela commented.

“Did I?” Jake asked.

“She’s getting groceries.” Mr. Tanner replied. “So, when Duane gets back, there’s a number where he can get ahold of you?”

“Oh no, we’ll just check in with you later,” Dean replied.

The three turned and walked down the steps as the Tanners shut the door.

“That was kind of creepy, right?” Dean asked. “A little too Stepford?”

“Big time.” Sam and Angela said in unison.

They looked around furtively and snuck around to the back of the house. The crouched below the window and peered inside. They saw a Mrs. Tanner, tied to a chair and gagged. They saw Jake behind her, hands on her shoulders and Mr. Tanner was cutting into his arm, letting the blood drip onto a wound in her shoulder.

Outside, the trio armed themselves and kicked down the back door. As they rushed in, their handguns raised, Mr. Tanner rushed at them with a knife; Dean shot him three times in the chest.

Jake jumped out the window, shattering the glass in the process, and darted into the woods. Sam and aimed at him through the window, but they hesitated, giving him time to get away.

~/~\~

Mrs. Tanner sat in the backseat, Angela’s arm around her shoulders. They pulled up to a clinic and Sam and Angela helped her out, leading her to the door. Dean opened the trunk and looked around.

Sam and Angela led Mrs. Tanner inside. The clinic was quiet, dim, and empty.

“Hello? Hello?” Sam called. “We need a Doctor here!”

The young woman from the vision rushed out, concerned. “Mrs. Tanner, what happened?” 

“She’s been attacked,” Angela replied quickly.

“Doctor Lee?” the young woman called.

Doctor Lee rushed in. “Bring her in,” 

“Okay,” Sam replied with a nod.

The young woman led Sam, Angela, and Mrs. Tanner into a back room, and Doctor Lee followed. A few moments later Dean entered the clinic, carrying the canvas-covered body of Mr. Tanner hoisted over his shoulders.

“Is that..." Doctor Lee started to ask.

“Mr. Tanner?” Dean replied.

“Was he attacked too?” Doctor Lee asked.

“Uh… no, actually, he did the attacking and then got himself shot,” Dean replied.

“Shot?” Doctor Lee asked, wide-eyed.

“Yeah.” Dean nodded.

“And who are you?” Doctor Lee asked.

“U.S. Marshal. I’d show you my badge, but uh…” Dean said.

“Oh. Sorry. Bring him back here.” Doctor Lee waved him over.

~/~\~

Mrs. Tanner was seated on a stool with her shirt off; Doctor Lee sat across from her, treating the wound on her left shoulder.

“Wait, you said Jake helped him?” Doctor Lee asked, frowning. “Your _son_ Jake?”

Mrs. Tanner nodded. “They beat me. Tied me up.” 

“I don’t believe it.” The young woman murmured.

“Pam. Beverly… do you have any idea why they would act this way? Any history of chemical dependency?” Doctor Lee asked.

Mrs. Tanner shook her head. “No, of course not.” She replied. “I don’t know why. One minute they were my husband and my son. And the next, they had the devil in them.”

Sam, Dean, and Angela were listening to the conversation. The shared a look at her last words.

“We gotta talk,” Dean muttered. The three exited the lab. “Those guys were whacked out of their gourds.”

“What do you think?” Sam asked. “Multiple demons, mass possession?”

“If it is a possession there could be more,” Dean replied. “I mean, God knows how many, it could be like a friggin’ Shriner convention.”

“Great,” Angela muttered.

“Of course, that’s one way to wipe out a town; you take it from the inside,” Dean commented.

“I don’t know, man.” Sam shrugged. “We didn’t see any of the demon smoke with Mr. Tanner, or any of the other usual signs.”

“Well, whatever,” Dean muttered. “Something turned him into a monster. And you know if you woulda taken out the other one there’d be one less to worry about.”

“I’m sorry, all right? I hesitated, Dean, it was a kid!” Sam retorted.

“No, it was an ‘it’,” Dean replied. “Not the best time for a bleeding heart, Sam.”

Angela sighed. “Sam’s right Dean, I wasn’t able to shoot the kid either.” 

Just before Dean could reply Doctor Lee stalked out of the lab, her heels clicking loudly on the floor.

“How’s the patient?” Sam asked, concerned.

“Terrible!” She exclaimed. “What the hell happened out there?”

“We don’t know,” Dean replied.

“Yeah?” she raised a brow. “Well, you just killed my next-door neighbor.”

“We didn’t have a choice,” Dean said.

“Maybe so, but we need the county Sheriff.” She replied. “I need the coroner…”

“Phones are down,” Angela said.

“I know, I tried.” Doctor Lee muttered. “Tell me you have a police radio in the car?”

“Yeah, we do. But it crapped out just like everything else.” Sam said.

“I don’t understand what is happening.” Doctor Lee murmured.

“How far is it to the next town?” Dean asked curiously.

“It’s about forty miles down to Sidewinder.” Doctor Lee answered.

“All right, I’m gonna go down there, see if I can find some help,” Dean said. He clapped both Angela and Sam on the shoulders. “My partners’ll stick around, keep you guys safe.”

“Safe from what?” Doctor Lee frowned.

“We’ll get back to you on that.” He replied, walking out.

~/~\~

Dean pulled up behind a wrecked car with Oregon plates that read ‘WTF 4C7’; he stopped to investigate, carrying a gun. The windows on the car were smashed and blood covered the seats; on the driver’s side was a large bloody knife. 

~/~\~

Sam was leaning against a counter and Angela was leaning against a wall, both were staring at the body of Mr. Tanner. Sam began pacing; Doctor Lee was nearby, looking at something in a microscope.

“Huh.” Doctor Lee muttered.

“What?” Sam and Angela said in unison, looking at her.

“His lymphocyte percentage is pretty high.” Doctor Lee commented. “His body was fighting off a viral infection.”

Sam’s brows furrowed slightly. “Really? What kind of virus?” he asked.

“Can’t say for sure.” Doctor Lee said.

“Do you think an infection could have made him act like that?” Angela asked curiously.

“None that I’ve ever heard of.” Doctor Lee replied. “I mean, some can cause dementia, but not that kind of violence. And besides, I’ve never heard of one that did this to the blood.”

“Did what?” Angela frowned.

“There’s this… weird residue.” Doctor Lee said. “If I didn’t know better I’d say it was sulfur.”

“Sulfur,” Sam muttered sharing a look with Angela.

~/~\~

Dean drove along the road to a bridge, which was blocked by a roadblock consisting of several cars and a half-dozen locals with guns. One was Jake. He stopped the car, frowning. Something banged down on the roof of the car and he jumped; a man leaned over into the frame.

“Oh-ho-ho. Hey.” Dean said.

“Sorry. Road’s close.” The man replied.

“Yeah, I can see that.” Dean nodded. “What’s up?”

“Quarantine.”

“Quarantine? What is it?” Dean asked.

“Don’t know.” The man shrugged. “Something going around out there.”

“Uh-huh.” Dean nodded. “Who told you that?”

“County Sheriff.”

“Is he here?” Dean raised a brow.

“No. He called. Say, why don’t you get out of the car and we’ll talk a little?”

Dean laughed nervously. “Well, you are a handsome devil, but I don’t swing that way, sorry.”

“I’d sure appreciate it if you got out of the car, just for a quick minute.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet you would.” Dean nodded. Dean put the car into a quick reverse; the man grabbed his collar and was dragged along.

The men at the roadblock began firing, and Dean swung the car around, shaking the man off and zoomed away.

~/~\~

Back at the clinic Sam and Angela were staring intently at Mrs. Tanner, who was still huddled on the stool in the lab.

“I don’t understand.” Mrs. Tanner murmured. “Are you saying my husband and Jake had a disease?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out.” Doctor Lee replied. “Now, during the attack, do you remember… did you have any direct contact with they’re blood?”

Mrs. Tanner’s eyes widened. “Oh my God.” She breathed. “You don’t think I’ve got this virus, do you?”

“Beverly, I don’t know what to think.” Doctor Lee whispered. “But with your permission, we’ll take a blood sample.”

Mrs. Tanner nodded and laid her hand gently on Doctor Lee’s. Suddenly she grabbed Doctor Lee’s wrist and yelled in rage, lashing out with her other hand.

Sam and Angela advanced on her and she tossed them both against a glass cabinet, which shattered. She picked up a scalpel and advanced on Sam, yelling.

When Angela saw this she grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall and knocked her out.

Sam looked up at Angela. “Thanks.” 

“No problem.” She replied, setting the fire extinguisher down.

~/~\~

Dean was driving back into the town, and the man who gave them the information about Duane stepped into his path, brandishing a rifle, and he stopped the car.

“Hands where I can see ‘em!” he yelled.

“Okay!” Dean replied, holding up his hands.

“Get out of the car! Out of the car!”

Dean opened the door and got out slowly. “All right, easy there, big guy.” As he stood, Dean pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the man. “All right, put it down!”

“Lower it now!” the man yelled.

“Put it down!” Dean retorted.

“Are you one of ‘em?” the man asked.

“No! Are you?” Dean replied.

“No!”

“You could be lying!” Dean exclaimed.

“So could you!” he yelled back.

Dean sighed. “All right! All right. We could do this all day, all right? Let’s just uh, let’s take it easy before we kill each other.”

The man relaxed slightly. “What’s going on with everybody?”

“I don’t know.” Dean sighed.

“My neighbor… Mr. Rogers, he-“

“You’ve got a neighbor named Mr. Rogers?” Dean asked, raising a brow.

“Not anymore.” The man replied. Dean just shook his head. “He came at me with a hatchet. I put him down. He’s not the only one, I mean, it’s happening to everyone.”

“I’m heading over to the Doc’s place, there’s still some people left,” Dean said.

“No, no way. I’m getting the hell out.”

“There’s no way out, they got the bridge covered, come on,” Dean said.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Fine, stay here, be my guest.” Dean shrugged.

The man hesitated, the changed his mind. He pulled out a handgun and kept it pointed towards Dean as he got in the passenger’s side.

Dean still had his gun up as well. “Well, this ought to be a relaxing drive.” 

~/~\~

Doctor Lee was looking through the microscope; Pam huddled against the far wall.

“What if we all have it? What if we all go crazy?” Pam muttered.

“You’ve got to stay calm. All we can do is wait. The Marshall’s bringing help.” Doctor Lee said.

“I can’t, I… I’ve got to go.” Pam murmured.

“Pam, no,” Angela replied sternly.

“Pam!” Doctor Lee exclaimed.

“No, you don’t understand. My boyfriend’s out there, I gotta make sure he’s okay.” She replied, hurrying out of the lab.

Sam followed her to the lobby. “All right, wait, wait. Please. Look, I know you’re upset, all right? But it’s safer if you stay here for now. Help is coming.”

At that moment, the Impala could be heard pulling up outside.

“There they are,” Sam said.

“Sammy? Open up!” Dean called from outside.

Sam opened the door to let in Dean and the man, who were both still armed.

“Did you guys, uh, get to a phone?” Angela asked, walking over.

“Roadblock,” Dean replied. He looked at the man. “I’m gonna have a word. Doc’s inside.”

The man nodded and walked into the next room.

“What’s going on out there, Dean?” Sam frowned.

“Man, I don’t know, I feel like Chuck Heston in the Omega Man, I mean Sarge is the only sane person I could find,” Dean said. “What are we dealing with, do you know?”

“Yeah. Doc thinks it’s a virus.” Angela said.

“Okay, great.” Dean nodded. “What do you think?”

“I think she’s right.” Angela shrugged.

“Really?” Dean asked.

“Yeah.” Sam nodded. “And I think the infected are trying to infect others with blood-to-blood contact.” He added. “Oh, but it gets better. The uh, the virus? Leaves traces of sulfur in the blood.”

“A demonic virus?” Dean raised a brow.

“Yeah, more like demonic germ warfare,” Sam said. “At least that explains why Angela and I have been having visions.”

“It’s like a Biblical plague,” Dean muttered.

“Yeah. You don’t know how right you are, Dean.” Sam nodded. “I’ve been poring through Dad’s journal, found something about the Roanoke colony.”

“And?” Dean asked.

“Dad always had a theory about Croatoan. He thought it was a demon’s name. Sometimes known as Deva or sometimes Reesha. A demon of plague and pestilence.”

“Well, that, that’s terrific. Why here, why now?” Dean questioned.

“I have no idea.” Sam shrugged. “But Dean, who knows how far this thing can spread?” he added. “We gotta get out of here, take Angela with us, we gotta warn people.”

“They’ve got one! In here!” the man called from the next room.

The trio rushed into the next room.

“What do you mean?” Dean frowned.

“The wife. She’s infected.” Angela said in realization.

“We’ve gotta take care of this. We can’t just leave her in there. My neighbors, they were strong. The longer we wait, the stronger she’ll get.” The man said quickly.

Dean barely hesitated before pulling out his gun and stalking into the lab.


	2. Croatoan Part 2

Pam frowned deeply. “You’re gonna _kill_ Beverly Tanner?” 

Sam looked at Doctor Lee. “Doctor, could there be any treatment? Some kind of cure for this?”

Doctor Lee just stared at the hunters with a blank expression.

“Can you cure it?” Dean repeated firmly.

“For God’s sake, I don’t even know what ‘it’ is!” Doctor Lee exclaimed.

“I told you, it’s just a matter of time before she breaks through.” The man said.

“Just leave her in there, you can’t shoot her like an animal!” Pam replied.

“Sam. Angela,” Dean beckoned.

They walked to the door of the utility room, where Mrs. Tanner was being held. Dean and the man held their guns ready; Sam carefully opened the door, and the two men took up offensive positions.

Inside, Mrs. Tanner was huddled on the floor, her knees drawn up. She jumped at their approach. “Mark, what are you doing?” she cried. “Mark, it’s, it’s them! They locked me in here, they, they tried to kill me!” she exclaimed. “They’re infected, not me! Please, Mark! You’ve known me all your life! Please!”

“You sure she’s one of ‘em?” Dean looked back at Sam and Angela.

Sam and Angela nodded. Sam looked distressed and Angela ran a hand through her hair. As Mark pulled back, tears in his eyes, Dean stepped forward and fired twice.

~/~\~

Later that night everyone stood around in the clinic. The curtains were drawn, and Mark peered through them cautiously. A few people were gathered outside.

Behind him, Sam pulled out a knife, checking the blade as Angela and Dean loaded their guns.

In the lab, Pam dropped a vial of blood and screamed. “Oh God!” she exclaimed. “Is there any on me? Am I okay?” she asked frantically.

“You’re clean, you’re okay.” Doctor Lee assured her.

“Why are we staying here?” Pam sighed. “Please, let’s just go!”

“No, we can’t, because those things are everywhere,” Angela said seriously.

Pam sank down against the wall. “Oh, God…” 

Doctor Lee knelt down next to her. “Hey, shh, shh.” 

“She’s right about one thing,” Sam muttered. “We can’t stay here. We’ve gotta get out of here, get to the Roadhouse? Somewhere. Let people know what’s coming.”

Dean nodded. “Yeah, good point. Night of the Living Dead didn’t exactly end pretty.”

“Well, I’m not sure we’ve got a choice,” Mark commented. “Lots of folks up here are good with rifles, even with all your hardware we’re, we’re easy targets. So unless you’ve got some explosives…”

Angela glanced up at a shelf of medical supplied and smirked slightly. “We could make some.” She replied. “Sam, can you help me get one of those bottles up there?” 

He nodded and went to the shelf, taking down a bottle of Potassium Chloride; just then, someone started pounding frantically on the front door and the hunters ran out of the room.

“Hey! Let me in, let me in! Please!” a voice yelled from outside.

“It’s Duane Tanner!” Mark exclaimed. He opened the door and let Duane in.

He had a backpack and was limping. “Thank God.” 

“Duane, you okay?” Mark asked.

Dean looked at Sam and Angela. “That’s the guy that I, uh..."

Both Angela and Sam nodded. “Yeah.” 

“Who else is in here?” Duane asked curiously.

Dean grabbed his arm. “Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, easy there, chief. Hey Doc! Give Duane a good once-over, would you?”

Doctor Lee led the group into the lab. “Pam?”

“Who are you?” Duane asked, looking up at Dean.

“Never mind who I am.” He answered. “Doc.”

“Yeah, okay.” She nodded.

“Duane,” Mark said. “Where you been?”

“On a fishing trip by Roslyn.” He replied. “I came back this afternoon. I… I saw Roger McGill being dragged out of his house by people we know!” he added. “They started cutting him up with knives! I ran, I’ve been hiding in the woods ever since.” He said. “Has anybody seen my mom and dad?”

Dean turned to Sam and Angela. “Awkward…” he muttered, attempting a joking tone. He just received a smack on the arm from Angela. “Ow…” 

Duane was sitting on a stool; his left leg had a deep gash in it.

“You’re bleeding.” Doctor Lee frowned.

“Where’d you get that?” Angela asked.

“I was running, I must have tripped.” Duane shrugged.

“Tie him up, there’s rope in there,” Dean said.

“Wait…” Duane started.

Dean pulled his gun on Duane. “Sit down!” 

“I’m sorry, Duane, he’s right,” Mark muttered. “We’ve gotta be careful.”

“Careful? About what?” Duane frowned.

“Did they bleed on you?” Dean asked.

“No, what the hell?” Duane replied. “No!”

“Doc? Any way to know for sure, any test?” Sam asked.

“I’ve studied Beverly’s blood work backward and forwards.” Doctor Lee shrugged.

“My mom!” Duane exclaimed.

“It took three hours for the virus to incubate.” Doctor Lee said. “The sulfur didn’t appear in the blood until then, so… no, there’d be no way of knowing. Not until after Duane turns.”

Sam Angela looked at each other and then at Dean.

“Dean, we’ve gotta talk to you,” Angela said.

“Now,” Sam added.

Dean glanced at Mark, who nodded silently. The three leave the lab.

“Sit in that chair.” Mark looked at Duane.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela stood in another room.

“This is our vision, Dean. It’s happening.” Sam said.

He nodded. “Yeah, I figured.”

“You can’t kill him, all right?” Angela replied. “Not yet. We don’t know if he’s infected or not.”

Dean looked at her. “Well, I think we’re pretty damn sure. Guy shows up out of nowhere, he’s got a cut on his leg, his whole family’s infected?”

“All right, then we should keep him tied up, and we should wait and see,” Sam said.

“For what?” Dean looked at Sam. “For him to Hulk out and infect somebody else? No thanks, can’t take that chance.”

He started to push past Sam, and Angela just grabbed his arm.

Dean sighed and looked at Angela. “Hey look, sweetheart, I’m not happy about this, okay?” he said. “But it’s a tough job and you should know that.”

“It’s supposed to be tough, Dean,” Angela replied, keeping an iron grip on his arm. “We’re supposed to struggle with this, that’s the whole point.”

“What does that buy us?” Dean asked.

“A clear conscience, for once!” Sam told him.

“Well, it’s too late for that,” Dean replied.

He broke free from Angela’s grip, but this time Sam stopped him.

“What the hell’s happened to you?” Sam frowned.

“What?” Dean asked.

“You might kill an innocent man, and you don’t even care!” Sam replied. “You don’t act like yourself anymore, Dean. Hell, you know what? You’re acting like one of those things out there.”

“Mm-hmm.” Was Dean’s reply. He pushed past Sam and Angela, who both tried to stop him again. Dean hurled Sam against the far wall and shoved Angela to the ground. Angela stood up and ran after him before he could lock the door behind him.

Sam stood up just as the door was locked. “Hey!” he yelled. He rattled the lock. “Open the damn door, Dean!” he shouted. “Don’t do it, Dean! Don’t! Angela, make sure he doesn’t do it!”

Dean was now in the hallway from the vision, Angela following after. He took out the empty clip and replaced it. He opened the door to the lab, and Angela walked inside after him. Duane was tied to the chair and Mark, Pam, and Doctor Lee stood nearby.

“No, you’re not gonna… No, no, I swear it’s not in me!” Duane cried.

“Oh, God!” Pam breathed. “We’re all gonna die!”

“Maybe he’s telling the truth,” Mark said.

“No, he’s not him, not anymore,” Dean muttered.

“Stop it! Ask her, ask the Doctor! It’s not in me!” Duane yelled.

“I… I can’t tell you.” Doctor Lee whispered.

Duane started sobbing. “Please, don’t. Don’t, please. I swear, it’s not in me, it’s not in me, I swear, I, I swear it’s not in me. No, don’t.”

“Dean, look at him! It’s not in him!” Angela yelled.

Dean glanced at her. “I got no choice.”

The moment stretched on, Dean keeping the gun trained on Duane, his finger hovering over the trigger. Duane kept sobbing, the other all watching in tense silence. Dean trembled, hesitated, and then finally lowered the gun with a grimace.

“Damn it!” he yelled.

Duane panted in relief as Angela led Dean out of the room.

~/~\~

Later, Dean, Sam, and Angela were preparing the explosives with rags and glass bottles. Doctor Lee entered with her hands in her pockets.

“It’s been over four hours.” She commented. “Duane’s blood is still clean. I don’t think he’s infected. I’d like to untie him if that’s all right.”

The three shared a look; Sam and Angela nodded, and Dean lowered his head.

“Sure. Yeah.” Angela said.

Doctor Lee nodded and left the room.

“You know I’m gonna ask you why,” Sam said, looking at Dean.

“Yeah, I know,” Dean muttered.

“So why? Why didn’t you do it?” Sam asked.

“We need more alcohol,” Dean muttered.

Sam and Angela got up and went to the dispensary, and saw that Pam was already there.

“How you holding up, Pam?” Angela asked.

“Good.” She nodded. “It’ll all be over soon.” She shut the door and locked it; neither Sam nor Angela noticing, having their backs turned. “In fact, I’ve been waiting for this the whole time.”

“For what?” Sam asked curiously.

“To get you two alone.” She replied with a smirk.

She lashed out and knocked Sam to the ground. Angela went wide-eyed and tried pulling her away from him, but Pam just hurtled her against the counter, knocking her out. Pam proceeded to straddle Sam’s chest and hit him, hard, across the face.

Outside of the room, Dean and Mark heard the commotion and armed themselves. Pam had a scalpel in one hand, which she sliced across Sam’s chest and then across her own palm, placing her wound over his.

Dean kicked the door open and shot her three times in the back. She convulsed and fell to the floor. Sam reached a hand out to Dean, who started to lean over to take it; Mark just pulled him back.

“She bled on him. He’s got the virus.” Mark warned.

Sam pulled his hand back, realization hitting him. He looked at Angela’s knocked out form and looked up at Dean. “Get her out of here…”

Dean nodded, and picked her up, carrying her out.

~/~\~

In the lab, Sam sat on the stool and a bandage was pressed to his chest. His eyes were down and he looked near tears. The others surrounded, all except for Angela who was still unconscious.

Dean paced angrily. “Doc, check his wound again, would you?” he asked. There was a pause. “Doctor!”

“What’s she need to examine him for?” Mark raised a brow. “You saw what happened.”

“Did her blood actually enter your wound?” Doctor Lee asked Sam.

“Come on, of course, it did!” Mark exclaimed.

“We don’t know that for sure,” Dean replied.

“We can’t take a chance,” Duane muttered.

“You know what we have to do,” Mark said.

“Nobody is shooting my brother.” Dean glared.

“He isn’t gonna be your brother much longer. You said it yourself.” Duane reminded.

“Nobody is shooting anyone!” Dean shouted.

“You were gonna shoot me!” Duane retorted.

Dean glared at him. “You don’t shut your pie-hole, I still might!”

“Dean, they’re right.” Same muttered. “I’m infected; just give me the gun and I’ll do it myself.”

“No… Don’t say that Sam.” said a soft voice. They all looked to see that Angela was awake and standing up. “You’re gonna be just fine.” She murmured.

Dean looked back at Sam. “She’s right. Forget it.” 

“Dean, I’m not gonna become one of those things,” Sam replied.

“Sam, we’ve still got some time,” Dean started.

“Time for what?” Mark asked. “Look, I understand he’s your brother, and I’m sorry, I am. But we gotta take care of this.” He said, pulling out his handgun.

“I’m gonna say this one time, you make a move on him, you’ll be dead before you hit the ground,” Dean said seriously. “You understand me? I mean, do I make myself clear?!”

“Then what are we supposed to do?!” Mark yelled.

Dean tossed him his keys. “Get the hell out of here, that’s what.” He said. “Take my car. You’ve got the explosives, there’s an arsenal in there. You three go with him. You’ve got enough firepower to handle anything now.”

Angela frowned, deep in thought. Sure, she just met the Winchesters, but she didn’t wanna leave them here alone. “I’m staying.” She said seriously.

Before Dean or Sam could say anything Mark cut in. “What about you?” he looked at Dean.

“Dean, Angela, no. Go with them.” Sam said after a pause. “This is your only chance!”

“You’re not gonna get rid of me that easy,” Dean replied.

Angela nodded in agreement. “Same goes with me.”

“No, he’s right. Come with us." Mark replied and everyone paused. "Okay, it’s your funeral.” He muttered before he led Doctor Lee and Duane out the door.

“I’m sorry.” Doctor Lee murmured. “Thanks for everything, Marshals.”

“Oh, actually we’re not really Marshalls,” Angela said.

“Um. Oh.” Doctor Lee replied.

With that, she left, and the door was shut behind her. Both Angela and Dean turn to face Sam, who started to cry.

“Wish we had a deck of cards, or a foosball table or something,” Dean muttered.

“Dean, Angela, don’t do this.” Sam murmured. “Just get the hell out of here.”

“No way,” Angela replied. “We’re not leaving you alone here.”

Sam sighed and looked at Dean. “Give me my gun, and take Angela and leave.”

“For the last time, Sam. No.” Dean said.

Sam slammed the table. “This is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.” He said before he turned to look at Angela. “You too.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. Remember that waitress in Tampa?” he shuddered.

“How would you know?" Angela smirked. "You just met me today."

“Guys, I’m sick,” Sam whispered. “It’s over for me. It doesn’t have to be for you two.”

“No?” both Angela and Dean replied.

“No, you two can keep going.” Sam murmured.

“Who says I want to?” Dean asked.

“What?” Sam frowned.

Angela looked at them both and thought it was best to give them privacy.

Dean crossed to the other wall and pulled a handgun out of his waistband before sitting on the file cabinet. “I’m tired, Sam. I’m tired of this job, this life… this weight on my shoulders, man. I’m tired of it.”

“So what, so you’re just going to give up?” Sam asked. “You’re just gonna lay down and die? Look, Dean, I know this stuff with Dad has-“

“You’re wrong.” Dean interrupted. “It’s not about Dad. I mean, part of it is, sure, but…”

“What is it about?” Sam asked, frowning.

They heard a noise and Angela came out of the other room. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Dean picked up both handguns and crossed to it; Doctor Lee was there. He opened the door.

“You’d better come see this.” She murmured.

~/~\~

All six survivors were standing just outside the clinic; everything else in sight was deathly silent.

“There’s no one. Not anywhere.” Doctor Lee said. “They’ve all just… vanished.”

On a telephone pole, the word ‘CROATOAN’ was carved.

~/~\~

The next morning Doctor Lee was looking through the microscope; Sam was seated on the exam table and Angela stood next to it.

“Well, it’s been five hours and your blood’s still clean.” She smiled. “I don’t understand it but I think you dodged a bullet.”

“But I was exposed,” Sam replied. “How could I not be infected?”

“I don’t know. But you’re just not.” She shrugged. “I mean, you compare it with the Tanner Samples…” she said. She looked through another microscope. “What the hell?”

“What?” Angela frowned.

“Their blood. There’s no trace of the virus. No sulfur, nothing.” Doctor Lee replied.

~/~\~

Outside Mark and Duane were loading up a truck; Doctor Lee stood in the doorway of the clinic.

“Hey, the Sarge and I are getting the hell out of here, heading south. You should come.” Duane said to Doctor Lee.

“I’d better get over to Sidewinder, get the authorities up here.” She replied. “If they’ll believe me. Take care.”

Mark waved to her and to Dean and Sam, who were leaning against the Impala. Lastly, they waved to Angela who was packing up her car.

“What about him?” Dean asked.

“He’s going to be fine. No signs of infection.” Doctor Lee replied. She went back inside as Mark and Duane pulled away in the truck.

Dean turned to Sam, who just shrugged. “Hey man, don’t look at me. I got no clue.”

“I swear, I’m gonna lose sleep over this one. I mean, why here, why now? And where the hell did everybody go? It’s like they just friggin’ melted.”

“Why was I immune?” Sam muttered.

“Yeah. You know what That’s a good question.” Dean nodded. “You know, I’m already starting to feel like this is the one that got away?” he muttered. He started getting in the Impala. “You coming?” he asked Sam.

He nodded. “One minute.” He replied. He jogged over to Angela. “Leaving so soon?”

She looked up at him and smiled softly. “Oh, uh yeah. This place kinda creeps me out.” 

He nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Um, I know we just met and all, but I was wondering if you’d wanna join Dean and me?” he added. “Doing this job alone, it sucks and can really take its toll.” He shrugged.

She smiled softly. “You really want me to come with ya? A complete stranger? Is your brother okay with that?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah. I’d like to have you around. And uh, he might be hesitant at first, but I think he’d like having you around too.”

Angela's smile grew. “Okay, I’ll take you up on that offer Winchester.” 

He smiled slightly and helped her with her bags, putting them in the Impala’s trunk. They all got in the car and pulled away from the town.

~/~\~

The Impala was parked by the side of a road, overlooking the river. Dean and Sam leaned against a fence, drinking beer, and Angela sat in the car checking her phone.

“So. Last night. You want to tell me what the hell you were talking about?” Sam asked.

“What do you mean?” Dean replied.

“What do I mean?” Sam scoffed. “I mean you said you were tired of the job. And that it wasn’t just because of Dad.”

“Forget it.” Dean shrugged.

“No, I can’t. No way.” Dean said.

“Come on man, I thought the three of us were going to die, you can’t hold that over me.”

“No, no, no, no. You can’t pull that crap with me, man.” Sam said. “You’re talking.”

“And what if I don’t?” Dean asked.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to keep asking until you do.”

“I don’t know, man. I just think maybe we ought to… go to the Grand Canyon.” Dean suggested.

“What?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, you know, all this driving back and forth across the country, you know I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon?” Dean replied. “Or we could go to T.J. or Hollywood, see if we can bang Lindsey Lohan.”

“You’re not making any sense,” Sam said.

“I just think we should take a break from all this.” Dean shrugged. “Why do we gotta get stuck with all the responsibility, you know? Why can’t we live life a little bit?”

“Why are you saying all this?” Sam frowned.

Dean just shook his head, turning away.

“No, no, no, no, Dean. You’re my brother, all right?” Sam said. “So whatever weight you’re carrying, let me help a little bit.”

“I can’t. I promised.” Dean muttered.

“Who?”

“Dad,” Dean said.

“What are you talking about?” Sam asked, confused.

Dean looked down. “Right before Dad died, he told me something.” He muttered. He took a breath and looked at Sam. “He told me something about you.”

“What? Dean, what did he tell you?” Sam frowned.


	3. Hunted Part 1

“Before Dad died he...he told me something, something about you,” Dean admitted.

“What? Dean, what did he tell you?” Sam frowned.

“He said that he wanted me to watch out for you, to take care of you,” Dean replied.

“He told you that a million times,” Sam scoffed lightly.

“No, this time was different. He said that I had to save you.”

“Save me from what?” Sam pressed.

“He just said that I had to save you, that nothing else mattered; and that if I couldn’t, I’d…”

“You’d what, Dean?” Sam urged.

“That I’d have to kill you. He said that I might have to _kill_ you, Sammy.” Dean muttered.

“Kill me?” Sam asked, frowning. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know.” Dean shrugged.

“I mean, he must have had some kind of reason for saying it, right?” Sam asked. “Did he know the demon’s plans for me? Am I supposed to go dark side or something? What else did he say, Dean?”

“Nothing, that’s it, I swear,” Dean promised.

“How could you not have told me this?” Sam glared.

“Because it was Dad, and he begged me not to,” Dean muttered.

“Who cares?!” Sam retorted. “Take some responsibility for yourself, Dean! You had no right to keep this from me!”

“You think I wanted this?” Dean asked. “Huh? I wish to God he’d never opened his mouth. Then I wouldn’t have to walk around with this screaming in my head all day.”

Sam turned and took a few steps away, fuming. “We’ve just got to figure out what’s going on, then, what the hell all this means.” He replied. “And we’ve got to explain this to Angela, because I don’t think she knows why she’s having these visions…”

“We do? I’ve been thinking about this, I think we should just lay low.” Dean shrugged. “You know? At least for a while. It’d be safer. For both you and Angela. And that way I can make sure-

“What? That Angela and I don’t turn evil? That we don’t turn into some kind of killers?” Sam asked.

“I never said that,” Dean replied.

“Jeez, if you’re not careful you will have to waste us one day, Dean.” Sam scoffed.

“I never said that! Dammit, Sam, this whole thing is spinning out of control. All right? You’re immune to some sort of weirdo demon virus, and Angela probably is too, and I don’t even know what the hell anymore.” He replied. “And you’re pissed at me, I get it. That’s fine, I deserve it. But we lay low until we figure out our next move, okay? And we don’t tell Angela any of this.”

“Forget it.” Sam glared. “And Angela deserves to know what’s going on!”

“Sam, please, man. Hey, please. Just give me some time. Give me some time to think, okay?” Dean replied. “I’m begging you here, please. Please.”

Sam paused and nodded reluctantly. “But Angela still gets an explanation.”

~/~\~

Sam walked out of a motel room, Angela following quietly so he didn't notice. He had a bag over his shoulder, and he walked past the Impala to a small black car.

Angela placed her hands on her hips. “Where do you think you’re going?” she raised a brow.

Sam flinched and turned to look at her. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.” He muttered. “And… Nowhere…”

“Liar. Wherever you’re going, I’m coming with.” She said.

He sighed. “Fine.” 

Sam opened the door with a coat hanger, looked around, and they both got in before speeding away.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela stood outside of a dark house, and Sam held a piece of motel stationery from The Blue Rose Motel, with an address written on it.

They approached the house cautiously. Angela picked the lock and they entered; the house was dark. As they passed through the doorway they both tripped a wire at floor lever, which triggered a grenade. It exploded; they both screamed. The only thing that could be seen was their smoking shoes, which dissolved into a flash of light, then into a dark bedroom.

~/~\~

Angela sat in the passenger’s seat of the car Sam took. They had driven to the Roadhouse to meet with Ellen, and to maybe get some answers about the Yellow-Eyed-Demon.

“So he’s the reason you and a bunch of other people including me have visions of people’s deaths?” she raised a brow.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been trying to track down other psychics, but it’s difficult because not all of them had nursery fires.”

“Right… See I was never really told about how my mom died,” Angela explained. “I just got into hunting because my whole family was raised in the life.”

Sam nodded. “Well, come on. Maybe we’ll get some answers today.” 

They both entered the Roadhouse, and a few heads turned.

Ellen was behind the door and looked up as they approached with a knowing smile. “Sam.” She greeted warmly before turning to Angela. “Don’t believe we’ve met, I’m Ellen.”

“Angela Morgan.” She introduced. “Nice to meet you.”

Sam smiled sheepishly. “Hey, Ellen. You don’t seem surprised to see us.”

“Well, your brother’s been calling, worried sick, looking for you. And he told me you had a girl with ya.” She replied.

“Yeah. Figured he might.” Sam nodded.

“What’s going on between you two?” Ellen asked Sam.

“So, um, how’s Jo?” Sam ignored her question.

“Well, I don’t really know,” Ellen replied with a small shrug.

“What do you mean?” Sam frowned.

“Well, I haven’t seen her in weeks. She sends a postcard now and again.” Ellen explained.

“Well, what happened?” Sam asked.

“Well, after she worked that job with you boys she decided she wanted to keep on hunting.” She explained. “I said ‘not under my roof’, and she said ‘fine’.”

“So I’m probably the last person you want to see right now,” Sam chuckled weakly.

Ellen chuckled. “Oh, don’t get me wrong. I wish I could blame the hell out of you boys. It’d be easier. Truth is, it’s not your fault. Sam. None of it is. I want you to know that I forgave your daddy a long time ago for what happened to my Bill. I just don’t think he ever forgave himself.”

“So what did happen?” Sam frowned.

“Um, so, why did you two come here?” she asked.

“We need help,” Angela said.

~/~\~

Later, Ellen, Sam, and Angela were talking to Ash, who was looking around furtively.

“What am I looking for, Sam?”

“Other people, other psychics, like Angela and me,” Sam replied. “As many as possible, and I need a nationwide search.”

“But I thought there was no way to track them all down.” Ellen frowned. “Not all of them had nursery fires like you did.”

“Well, no, but some had to. Start there.” Sam shrugged.

~/~\~

Later, Ash emerged from his backroom with a piece of paper in his hand. He gave it a flourish. “Done, and done.”

“That was fast,” Angela replied.

“Well, apparently, that’s my job.” He shrugged. “Make the monkey dance at the keyboard.”

“Just tell us what you got, Ash,” Ellen rolled her eyes.

“Five folks fit the profile nationwide.” Ash replied. “Born in ’83, mother died in a nursery fire, the whole shebang.”

“Five? That’s it?” Sam asked.

“Sam Winchester from Lawrence, Kansas, Max Miller from Saginaw, Michigan, Andrew Gallagher from Guthrie, Oklahoma, Angela Morgan from St. Paul, Minnesota, and uh, another name. Scott Carey.” Ash replied.

Angela's eyes widened slightly, almost in disbelief. Did a demon really kill her mother?

Sam looked at Angela and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder, glancing at Ash. “You got an address?”

“Kind of. The Arbor Hill Cemetery in Lafayette, Indiana. Plot four-eighty-six.” Ash aid.

“So he’s dead?” Angela asked.

“Killed, about a month ago.” Ash nodded.

“Killed how?” Sam asked.

“Stabbed. Parking lot. Fuzz don’t have much, no suspects,” Ash started.

“All right. Thank you.” Sam replied.

As Sam and Angela got up to leave, Ash slapped Sam on the back; when he was out of eyeshot Ash picked up Sam’s half-full beer and started drinking it.

“Where are you two going?” Ellen asked.

“Indiana,” Sam answered.

“Sam? I’ve gotta call Dean, I’ve gotta let him know where you two are.” Ellen put her hands on her hips.

“Ellen. We’re trying to find answers, about who we are. And my brother means well, but he can’t protect us from that. Please.”

Ellen sighed and nodded reluctantly.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were sitting with Scott’s father in his living room, talking.

“So you say you two went to high school with Scott?” his father asked.

“Uh, yes sir, we did,” Angela replied. “We just heard about what happened, we’re so sorry.”

“Scotty was a good boy.” His father murmured. “He changed a lot since you two knew him.”

“What do you mean?” Sam frowned.

“It started about a year ago with these headaches.” He replied. “And then he got depressed, paranoid, nightmares.”

“Nightmares?” Angela asked. “Um, did he ever talk to you about his nightmares? What he saw, or-

“No, no.” he shook his head. “He closed up with me. I tried to get him help, but nothing took. He’d just lock himself up in his room for days.”

“You think maybe we could see his room?” Sam asked.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela poked around Scott’s room. The room contained a bare bed with a sleeping bag, some bookshelves covered in books, and cassette tapes. On the bedside table, Angela noticed several bottles of pills, prescribed by Dr. George Waxler and she quickly swiped one of the bottles.

Sam opened Scott’s closet and shoved aside the clothes to reveal a collage of yellow eyes cut out of photos or magazines, glued to the wall. “Angela… Look.”

She looked at the wall and went wide-eyed. “Oh my God…”

~/~\~

Sam and Angela walked across the parking lot. As they get to the door Sam sensed that they were being followed. He turned and grabbed the figure behind Angela, shoving her against the wall. 

“Who are you?” Angela narrowed her eyes.

“Please!” the woman exclaimed. “You’re both in danger.”

~/~\~

The woman paced around the motel room, talking somewhat frantically. “Okay, look, I know how this all sounds, but I am not insane and I am not on drugs.” She assured. “Okay? I am normal, and this is way, way off the map for me.”

“All right, all right, just, just calm down,” Sam replied. “Okay? What’s your name?”

“Ava.” She replied.

“Ava?” Angela asked.

“Ava Wilson.” She murmured.

“Ava, I’m Sam Winchester, and this is Angela Morgan, all right?” he replied. “Now, you were telling us about these dreams of yours?”

“Uh, yeah, uh, okay, about a year ago I started having these, like, headaches, and just, nightmares, I guess.” She shrugged. “And I really didn’t think much of it until I had this one dream where I saw this guy get stabbed in a parking lot.”

“When was this?” Angela asked, her brows furrowing.

“Uh, about a month ago,” Ava replied. “But anyway, a couple of days later, I found this.”

She pulled out a newspaper clipping and handed it to Angela; it read ‘LOCAL MAN STABBED TO DEATH IN PARKING LOT’ next to a picture of Scott Carey. 

“I saw this guy die, days before it happened,” Ava said. “I don’t know why, I don’t know, it’s just for some reason, my dreams are coming true. And last night I had another one.”

“Okay.” Sam nodded.

“About you two. I saw you both die.” Ava murmured.

“How did you find us?” Angela asked curiously.

“Oh, uh, you had motel stationery, and I Googled the motel, and it was real, and so I just thought that I should warn you two.”

“I don’t believe this,” Sam mumbled.

“Oh, oh, of course, you don’t,” Ava replied. “You think I’m a total nutjob.”

“Wait, no, no, no, I mean, you must be one of us,” Sam replied.

“Sorry, one of, one of who?” Ava raised a brow.

“One of the Psychics,” Sam said. “Like Angela and me. Look, Ava, Angela and I have visions too, all right? So we’re connected.”

Ava laughed. “Okay, so, you’re both nuts. That’s great.”

“Okay, okay, look,” Sam huffed. “Did your mother happen to die in a house fire?”

“No, my mother lives in Palm Beach!” Ava exclaimed.

“So you don’t fit the pattern either,” Sam muttered.

Ava frowned at both him and Angela in confusion.

~/~\~

Dean was driving alone, and his cellphone started to ring. He picked it up. “Hello?”

 _“It’s Ellen.”_ She said on the other line.

“Hey, have you heard from Sam? Or Angela?” he asked.

 _“I have, but they made me promise not to tell you where they are.”_ She replied.

“Come on, Ellen, please,” Dean said. “Something bad could be going on here, and I swore I’d look after that kid.” 

_“Now Dean, they say you can’t protect your loved ones forever.”_ She said. _“Well, I say screw that. What else is family for? They’re in Lafayette, Indiana.”_

“Thanks,” Dean replied, hanging up.

~/~\~

“Why can’t you just leave town?” Ava asked. “Please? Before you blow up?”

“No, we can’t,” Sam replied.

“Oh, god. Why not?” She frowned.

“Because there’s something going on here, Ava,” Angela replied. “With you, with me, with Sam. I mean, there are others like us out there. And we’re all part of something, and we’ve got to figure out what.”

She sighed, frustrated. “Okay. You know what? Screw you, two. Okay? Because I’m a secretary from Peoria and I’m not part of anything! Okay? Do you see this?” she fingered her engagement ring. “I am getting _married_ in eight weeks. I am supposed to be home addressing invitations, which I am way behind on, by the way. But instead, I drove out here to save your weirdo asses. But if you just want to stay here and die, fine.” She said. “Me? I’m due back on Planet Earth.”

“Don’t you want to know why this is happening?” Sam asked her. “I mean, don’t these visions scare the hell out of you? Because if you walk out that door right now you might never know the truth. We need your help.”

~/~\~

Ava was sitting in Waxler’s office in a therapy session, to cover for Sam and Angela’s mission of covert theft.

“So, Ms. Wilson, you’re new in town.” Dr. Waxler said.

“That’s right.” She nodded.

“And what made you decide to seek out therapy?”

“I have no idea.” She shrugged.

“No?” he raised a brow.

“No. I mean, I’m feeling really super anxious right now,”

“Okay, anything else?” he asked.

“Um…” she saw Sam and Angela inching by on the window ledge outside. “Holy crap!”

“What?” Dr. Waxler frowned. He turned to the window as a few pigeons flew off.

“I just remembered, when I was a kid, I swallowed like, eight of things of pop rocks and then drank a whole can of coke, you don’t think that counts as a suicide attempt, do you?” she asked worriedly.

~/~\~

Ava, Sam, and Angela returned to the motel room with Scott’s files. Ava looked stunned.

“Are you okay?” Angela asked.

“Am I okay?” Ava repeated.

“Yeah.” Sam nodded.

“I just helped you two steal some dead guy’s confidential psych files. I’m awesome!” she grinned.

Angela laughed and slung an arm around the woman’s shoulders. “That’s the spirit.”

~/~\~

The voice recorder was sitting on the table, next to an open file folder. A record from the therapy session was being played.

 _“It started a little over a year ago.”_ Scott’s voice said. _“Migraines, at first. Then I found I could do… stuff.”_

 _“What do you mean, do stuff?”_ Dr. Waxler’s voice asked.

_“I have this ability. When I touch something, I can electrocute it if I want.”_

~/~\~

Dean pulled into the parking lot in the Impala; when he saw Sam and Angela through the window of their room he sighed in relief. “Oh, thank God you two are okay.”

Sam moved aside, revealing Ava through the window.

Dean smiled. “Oh, you’re better than okay. Sam you sly dog!”

~/~\~

The recording continued; Sam was leaning over the table and Angela leaned against the wall. Both looked concerned.

 _“What else does the yellow-eyed man say?”_ Dr. Waxler’s voice asked.

 _“He has plans for me. He says there’s a war coming.”_ Scott’s voice said. _“That people like me, we’re going to be soldiers. Everything’s about to change.”_

“He’s not talking about us, right?” Ava frowned.

“Yeah, I think he is.” Angela murmured.

“But how can we turn into that?” Ava asked.

“I don’t-

Sam was cut off by the window above his heat shattering as a bullet hit it. He dived to the floor with Ava and Angela, shielding their bodies with his.

“Get down!” Sam yelled.

“Oh my God!” Ava screamed.

“Holy crap!” Angela yelled, wide-eyed.

“What’s happening?” Ava asked frantically.

“I don’t know,” Sam replied.

~/~\~

As Gordon was about to take another head-shot at Sam, Dean jumped him from behind.

“Gordon!” Dean shouted as he kicked Gordon hard, then pinned him down on his back, hitting him over and over again in the face. He grabbed him by the collar. “You do that to my brother, I’ll kill you!”

“Dean, wait.” He said. Gordon managed to grab the rifle and slammed it into Dean twice, knocking him out. He stood over Dean, panting and blood gushed from his lip.


	4. Hunted Part 1

Ava, Sam, and Angela investigated the roof from which Gordon had been shooting at them.

“Wait, I don’t understand,” Ava started. “Shouldn’t we be talking to the cops?”

“Trust me, that wouldn’t do us much good,” Sam replied, picking up a shell. “These are .223 caliber. Subsonic grounds, the guy must have put a suppressor on the rifle.”

Ava raised a brow. “Dude, who are you?”

“Oh,” Sam said. “I just, uh, I just watch a lot of TJ Hooker.” He lied and pulled out his cellphone.

“Who are you calling?” Ava asked.

“My brother. I think we definitely need help,” Sam said.

~/~\~

In the cabin, Dean was tied to a chair, and Gordon held the phone to his ear.

“Hello?” Dean said.

 _“Dean!”_ exclaimed Sam on the other line.

“Sam, I’ve been looking for you and Angela.” He replied.

_“Yeah. Look, we’re in Indiana, uh Lafayette.”_

“I know,” Dean said.

 _“You do?”_ Sam asked, confused.

“Yeah, I talked to Ellen. Just got here myself.” Dean replied. “It’s a real funky town. You and Angela ditched me, Sammy.”

_“Yeah, I’m sorry. We both are. Look, right now there’s someone after us.”_

“What? Who?” Dean asked.

 _“I don’t know, that’s what we need to find out,”_ Sam said. _“Where are you?”_

“I’m staying at, uh, 5367 Monroe St., why don’t you two meet me here?”

 _“Yeah. Sure.”_ Sam said, hanging up.

“Now, was that so hard?” Gordon asked.

“Bite me.” Dean glared.

~/~\~

Sam put his phone away, looking worried.

“What is it?” Ava asked.

“My brother’s in trouble,” Sam said.

“What?” Ava frowned.

“He gave me a code word. Someone’s got a gun on him.”

“Codeword?” Ava asked.

“Yeah. Funky town.” He replied. “Well, he thought of it. It’s kind of a… long story, I, come on.” 

~/~\~

Gordon had his back to Dean; he opened a canvas bag and started pulling out weapons.

“So Gordy. I know me and Sam ain’t exactly your favorite people, but don’t you think this is a little extreme?” Dean asked.

“What, you think this is revenge?” Gordon raised his brows.

“Well, we did leave you tied up in your own mess for three days.” Dean laughed. “Which was awesome. Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh.”

Gordon nodded. “Yeah. I was definitely planning on whuppin’ your ass for that.”

“Mm-hmm.” Dean nodded.

“But that’s not what this is. This isn’t personal.” Gordon said. “I’m not a killer, Dean. I’m a hunter. And your brother’s fair game.” He said, slamming a knife into its sheath.

~/~\~

Sam, Angela, and Ava approached her VW beetle.

“I don’t think I should leave,” Ava said.

“We want you out of harm’s way, Ava,” Sam replied.

“What about you two?” she frowned.

“Harm’s way doesn’t really bother us.” Angela shrugged.

“No, but you two are walking right into my vision.” She retorted. “I mean, this is how you two die.”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s my brother.” Sam replied.

“Maybe I could help!” Ava said.

“You’ve done all you can. Just, just go back to your fiancée, Ava.” Angela murmured.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes, we’re sure.” Sam nodded. “Go home, Ava. You’ll be safe there.”

She got in the car. “Well, just promise me you’ll call, then.” She replied. “I mean, when you get your brother, just to let me know that everything’s all right.”

“We promise.” Sam nodded.

~/~\~

Gordon was leaning against a pillar, cradling a rifle as he spoke casually. “See, I was doing an exorcism down in Louisiana. Teenage girl, seemed routine, some low-level demon.” He said. “But between all the jabbering and the head-spinning, the damn thing muttered something. About a coming war. And I don’t think it meant to, it just kind of slipped out.” He added. “But it was too late. Piqued my interest. And you can really make a demon talk, you got the right tools.”

Dean glared at him. “And what happened to the girl it was possessing?”

“She didn’t make it,” Gordon said.

Dean shook his head. “Well, you’re a son of a bitch.”

Gordon stared, stood, and slapped him. “That’s my momma you’re talking about.” He replied and paused for a moment. “Anyway. This demon tells me there are soldiers to fight in this coming war. Humans, fighting on hell’s side. You believe that? I mean, they’re psychics, so they’re not exactly pure human, but still.” He shrugged. “What kind of worthless scumbag have you got to be to turn against your own race?” he asked and just received a glare from Dean. “But you know the biggest kick in the ass? This demon said I knew one of them. Our very own Sammy Winchester.”

Dean chuckled. “Oh, this is a whole new level of moronic, even for you.”

“Yeah?” Gordon asked. “Come on, Dean. I know. About Sam’s visions. I know everything.”

“Really? Because a demon told you?” Dean raised a brow. He laughed. “Yeah, and it wasn’t lying.”

“Hey, Dean. I’m not some reckless yahoo, okay?” he replied. “I did my homework. Made damn sure it was true. Look, you’ve got your Roadhouse connections, I got mine. It’s how I found Sammy in the first and his little girlfriend in the first place.” He shrugged and crossed to the corner and sat down. “About a month ago I found another one of these freaks here in town. He could deep-fry a person just by touching them.”

“Yeah, did he kill anyone?” Dean raised a brow.

“Well, besides Mr. Tinkles the cat? No.” he replied. “But he was working up to it. They’re all going to be killers, Dean. We’ve gotta take them all out. And that means Sammy too.” He said, cocking the rifle.

“You think Sam’s stupid enough to walk through that front door?” Dean asked.

“No, I don’t. Especially since I’m sure you found a way to warn him. Ha.” He said. “You really think I’m that stupid?” he asked. Dean raised his eyebrows meaningfully; Gordon stood and started pacing. “No. Sammy’s gonna bring his girl, who I found out also has visions.”

“Oh, and how’d you find that out?” Dean asked.

“Like I said, I’ve got my connections.” Gordon shrugged. “Anyway, they’re going to scope the place, see me covering the front door, so they’re going to take the back. And when they do they’ll hit the tripwire. Then,” he pulled a grenade from his bag. “Boom. Two in one.”

“Sam and Angela aren’t gonna fall for a friggin’ tripwire.” Dean scoffed.

“Maybe you’re right.” He shrugged. “That’s why I’ll have a second one.” He informed. “Hey, look. I’m sorry. I wish I didn’t have to do this, I really do. But for what it’s worth, it’ll be quick.”

~/~\~

Later, Gordon was setting up the tripwire across the back doorway; he returned to the room where Dean was tied up and straddled the chair.

“Come on, man. I know Sam, better than anyone. And Angela doesn’t seem bad either. They’ve got more of a conscience than I do, I mean, Sam feels guilty surfing the internet for porn.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Gordon whispered. “But one day he and that girl of his are going to be monsters.”

“How? Huh? How’s a guy like Sam and a nice girl like Angela gonna become monsters?” Dean asked.

“Beats me. But they will.” Gordon said.

“No, you don’t know that!”

“I’m surprised at you, Dean.” Gordon sighed. “Getting all emotional. I heard you were more of a professional than this. Look, let’s say you were cruising around in that car of yours and, uh, you had Little Hitler and Little Katherine Mary Knight riding in the backseat, right?” he added. “Back when they were real innocent. But you knew what they were going to turn into someday. You’d take them out, no questions, am I right?”

“That’s not Sam or Angela.” Dean retorted.

“Yes, it is.” Gordon nodded. “You just can’t see it yet. Dean, it’s their destiny. Look, I’m sympathetic.” He said. “He’s your brother and she’s a nice gal, they're important to you. This has got to hurt like hell for you.” He added as he reached into his bag, pulling out a scar. “But here’s the thing.” He said, gagging Dean with the scarf. “It would wreck him. But your dad? If it really came right down to it, he would have had the stones to do the right thing here. But you’re telling me you’re not the man he is?”

Dean glared furiously at Gordon.

~/~\~

Just like in Ava’s vision, Sam and Angela approached the cabin, holding up the sheet of motel stationery. They saw Dean, and Gordon, through the boarded-up window, and then ran around back. Angela tried the door, finding it locked; Sam pulled out his lock pick and worked it open.

~/~\~

The clicks from the door could be heard in the front room; Dean looked around wildly.

“You hear them?” Gordon asked.

In the backroom, Sam and Angela got the door open and crept in.

“Here they come.”

Dean flinched helplessly as the first grenade exploded. He screamed at Gordon.

“Hold on. Not yet. Just wait and see.”

As the second grenade went off, Dean struggled violently, choke-sobbing through the gag.

Gordon crossed the room and stopped beside him. “Sorry, Dean.” 

He went to the backroom, his rifle ready. He saw Sam and Angela’s smoking shoes on the ground, just like in the vision; he smiled but was still wary. As he turned away from the back door, Sam and Angela raised their guns to the back of Gordon’s head and cocked them.

“Drop the gun,” Angela said in a deadly calm voice.

“Shouldn’t take your shoes off around here,” Gordon whispered. “You might get tetanus.”

“You heard her!” Sam shouted. “Put it down!”

In the front room, Dean turned, hearing both Sam and Angela’s voices, and he grunted in relief.

Out back, Gordon slowly lowered the rifle to the floor. “You two wouldn’t shoot me, would you, Sammy? Angie? Because Dean, he thinks you two are saints.”

“Yeah? Well, I wouldn’t be so sure.” Angela whispered. “And don’t call me Angie.” 

“See, that’s what I said.” Gordon retorted. He turned quickly, knocking the guns from Sam and Angela’s hands, and attacked them methodically until they both went down. In the front room, Dean heard the scuffle and struggles against the ropes.

Meanwhile, Gordon slowly approached Sam and Angela, who were flat on their backs, coughing. Gordon pulled out his knife. “You two are no better than the filthy things you hunt.” 

As Gordon raised the knife, Sam lashed out, flipping Gordon over. He punched him twice, then grabbed the rifle and pointed it at his head.

“Do it,” Gordon whispered. “Do it! Show your brother the killer you really are, Sammy.”

Sam hesitated, and then slammed the butt of the rifle into Gordon’s head, knocking him out. “It’s Sam.” He said, fuming. He held a hand out to Angela. “You okay?”

She took his hand and was pulled up. “Yeah, I’m good. You?”

He just nodded.

~/~\~

Sam shuffled exhaustedly into the room where Dean was tied up, and Angela followed suit. Dean struggled and grunted as he watched the two approach. Sam clapped him on the shoulder and Angela knelt beside him, untying the ropes.

Dean pulled off his own gag frantically, and then pulled Angela up to stand. He cupped his hand around Sam’s neck, and slung an arm around Angela’s shoulders, staring at them. Both Sam and Angela clapped a hand to Dean’s shoulders.

Dean pushed away and began to stagger towards the back room. “That son of a…”

“Dean. No.” Angela said.

“I let him live once Angie, I’m not making the same mistake twice.”

“Please never call me Angie.” She muttered.

Sam just laughed at that and then looked at Dean seriously. “Trust me. Gordon’s taken care of. Come on.” 

Angela reached and fisted Dean’s jacket, pulling him towards the front door.

~/~\~

The trio walked down the steps from the cabin and away from it; moments later Gordon emerged, a gun in each hand, and he began to fire. They ducked and ran for cover.

“Come on!” Dean shouted. “You call this taken care of?” he asked. They dived into a ditch by the side of the road and huddled, watching him approach. “What the hell are we doing?”

Sam looked at Angela and they shared a look, before turning back to Dean. “Just trust us on this, all right?” Sam replied.

As Gordon approached, three police cars, sirens blaring, pulled into the clearing and surrounded Gordon. 

“Drop your weapons, get down on your knees!” one of the cops shouted.

“Do it, now!” another yelled.

The three hunters grinned at each other as Gordon dropped to his knees.

The cops cuffed Gordon and patted him down, then led him to a squad car. Another opened the back door of Gordon’s car and pulled out the weapons rack.

“Anonymous tip,” Angela smirked.

“You two are fine upstanding citizens.” Dean smiled.

~/~\~

 _“Gordon Walker was hunting Sam and Angela?”_ Ellen's voice rang through.

“Yeah, he almost killed all three of us because somebody over there can’t keep their friggin’ mouths shut,” Dean replied.

 _“And you honestly think that it was me? Or Ash? Or Jo?”_ she asked. _“No way.”_

“Well, who else knows about Sam and Angela? Huh?” Dean asked. “I mean, you must have been talking to somebody.”

 _“Hey, you can say a lot of things about us.”_ She retorted. _“But we are not disloyal. And we’re not stupid. We haven’t breathed a word of this.”_

“Gordon said he had Roadhouse connection, Ellen.”

 _“And this roadhouse is full of other hunters.”_ She replied. _“They’re all smart. They’re good trackers. Each of them with their own patterns and connections. Look, hell, I could name 12 of them right now that are capable of putting this together.”_ She added. _“I am sorry about what happened, Dean. But I can’t control these people. Or what they choose to believe.”_

~/~\~

Dean was driving; Sam was talking on his phone and Angela was in the backseat.

“Hey, Ava, it’s Sam, again,” Sam said. “Um, call me when you get this, just want to make sure you got home okay. All right. Bye.”

“Everything all right?” Angela asked.

“Yeah, I hope so.”

“Well, Gordon should be reaching for the soap for the next few years at least.” Dean chimed in.

“Yeah. If they pin Scott Carey’s murder on him.” Sam replied. “And if he doesn’t bust out.”

“Guys, you ever take off like that again…” Dean muttered.

“What?” Sam asked. “You’ll kill us?” he smirked, earning a laugh from Angela.

“That is _so_ not funny you two,” Dean said.

Sam laughed. “All right. All right. So where to next, then?”

“One word: Amsterdam,” Dean answered.

“Dean!” both Sam and Angela exclaimed.

“Come on, guys, I hear the coffee shops don’t even serve coffee.”

“We’re not just gonna ditch the job,” Sam replied.

“Screw the job,” Dean muttered. “Screw it, man, I’m sick of the job anyway. I mean, we don’t get paid, we don’t get thanked. The only thing we get is bad luck.”

“Well, come on, dude, you’re a hunter.” Sam shrugged. “I mean, it’s what you were meant to do.”

“Oh, I wasn’t meant to do anything, I don’t believe in that destiny crap.”

“You mean you don’t believe in our destiny.” Angela murmured.

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Look, Dean, I’ve tried running before,” Sam said. “I mean, I ran all the way to California and look what happened. You can’t run from this. And you can’t protect Angela and me.”

“I can try.” Dean retorted.

Angela smiled softly. “Thanks for that.” 

Dean nodded silently.

“Look, Dean, I’m gonna keep hunting,” Sam replied. “I mean, whatever is coming, I’m taking it head-on; so if you really want to watch my back, then I guess you’re gonna have to stick around.”

“Bitch.” Dean muttered.

“Jerk,” Sam said.

They both grinned and Angela smiled softly at them. After a pause, Sam frowned and picked up his phone again.

“You calling that Ava girl again? You sweet on her or something?” Dean asked. He smirked and glanced at Angela in the review mirror. “Wouldn’t wanna make Angie jealous now would ya, Sam?”

Angela smacked Dean’s arm lightly. “Shut it.” She laughed. “And Angie is a 13-year-old girl’s nickname, it’s Angela.”

“Whatever you say, Angie,” Dean smirked.

Sam just laughed and shook his head. “Ava’s engaged, Dean.”

“So?” he asked. “What’s the point in saving the world if you can’t get a little nookie once in a while, huh?” he added. Sam hung up and scowled slightly. “What?” Dean asked.

“Just a feeling,” Sam muttered. “How far is it to Peoria?”

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela did their breaking and entering thing, with flashlights.

“Hello?” Sam called. “Anybody home?”

They went into the bedroom to find Ava’s fiancée dead, face-up on the bed; his shirt, and the sheets soaked in blood.

“Oh my god.” Angela breathed.

Dean ran a finger along the windowsill, staring at the powdery substance collected there. “Hey. Sulfur. Demon’s been here.”

Sam noticed something on the floor and picked it up. It was Ava’s engagement ring. “Ava!”


	5. Playthings Part 1

Blues music played on the cheap radio. The motel walls were covered in maps, hand-written notes, and a missing poster showing Ava’s face.

“Yeah. Okay.” Sam said on the phone. “Thanks, Ellen.”

Angela and Dean entered the room with coffee.

“What’d she have to say?” Angela asked.

“Oh, she’s got nothing,” Sam replied. “Me, I’ve been checking every database I can think of, federal, state, and local.” He shrugged. “No one’s heard anything about Ava, she just… into thin air, you know?”

“Huh,” Dean muttered as he handed Sam a cup of coffee he had been carrying.

“What about you guys?” Sam asked.

“No, same as before,” Dean replied. “Sorry, man.”

“Ellen did have one thing,” Sam said.

“Hmm?” Dean raised a brow.

“A hotel in Cornwall, Connecticut, two freak accidents in the past three weeks,” Sam said.

“Yeah? What’s that have to do with Ava?” Dean asked, his brows furrowing.

“It’s a job.” Sam shrugged. “I mean, a lady drowned in the bathtub; then a few days ago a guy falls down the stairs, head turns a complete one-eighty. Which isn’t exactly normal, you know?” he added. “Look, I don’t know, Dean, it might be nothing, but I told Ellen we’d think about checking it out.”

“You did?” Dean asked.

“Yeah.” Sam nodded. “You seemed surprised.”

“Well, yeah, it’s just, you know. Not the patented Sam Winchester way, is it?” Dean mused.

“What is that?” Sam asked, his voice mildly challenging.

“I just figured after Ava there’d be, uh, you know, more angst and droopy music and staring out the rainy windows, and,” he stopped himself when Sam gave him a look.

“You might wanna shut up Dean,” Angela warned.

He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll shut up now.” 

“Look. Angela and I are the ones who told her to go back home.” Sam replied. “Now her fiancée’s dead and some demon has taken her off to God know where.” He added. “You know? We’ve been looking for a month now, and we’ve got nothing. So I’m not giving up on her, but I’m not going to let other people die either. We’ve gotta save as many people as we can.”

“Wow,” Dean said. “That attitude is just way too healthy for me, and I’m _officially_ uncomfortable now. Thank you.”

Both Sam and Angela started laughing.

“All right, call Ellen. Tell her we’ll take it.”

~/~\~

It wasn’t raining, but the roads were wet and the air was misty as the Impala was parked in front of the inn. The three hunters got out of the car.

“Dude, this is sweet. I never get to work jobs like this.” Dean said.

“Like what?” Angela and Sam asked in unison.

Dean stopped and looked at them. “You two do that a lot…”

Angela raised a brow. “Do what a lot?”

“Speak in unison… It’s weirding me out…” Dean said. “Anyway, old school haunted houses, you know? Fog, and secret passageways, sissy British accents.” He added. “Might even run into Fred and Daphne while we’re inside.” He muttered. He closed his eyes briefly. “Mmm. Daphne. Love her.”

Angela just raised a brow and shook her head.

As they walked up the steps, Sam noticed an urn on the side of the porch. He inspected it closely. “I’m not so sure haunted’s the problem.”

“What do you mean?” Dean asked.

“You see this pattern here?” he said, tapping a five-point symbol engraved in the urn. “That’s a quincunx, that’s a five-spot.”

“Five-spot,” Dean repeated.

“Yeah.” Sam nodded.

“That’s used for hoodoo spell work, isn’t it?” Dean asked.

“Right, yeah.” Angela nodded. “You fill this thing with blood weed and you’ve got a powerful charm to ward off enemies.”

“Yeah, except I don’t see any blood weed,” Dean replied. “Don’t you think this place is a little too, uh, white meat for hoodoo?”

“Maybe.” Sam and Angela muttered.

Dean looked back at them. “Seriously, that’s getting weird.”

~/~\~

As they entered, they looked around at the quiet interior.

Susan entered briskly. “May I help you?”

“Hi, yeah, I’d like a room for a couple of nights,” Dean replied.

As Sam and Angela moved in, Tyler darted in front of Sam’s legs, chased by Maggie, who ran behind Angela.

“Hey!” Susan exclaimed. She looked at Sam and Angela. “Sorry about that.”

“No problem.” Angela and Sam smiled.

“Well, congratulations, you could be some of our final guests,” Susan said.

“Well,” Dean said. “Sounds vaguely ominous.”

“No, I’m sorry, I mean we’re closing at the end of the month,” Susan replied. “Well, let me guess. You three are here antiquing?”

Dean shared a ‘why not?’ look with Sam and Angela. “How’d you know?” 

“Oh, you just look the type.” She shrugged and Dean looked vaguely uncomfortable. “So, uh, a king-sized bed and a single?”

Angela looked at her. “What? No, uh, no, they’re, they’re… three singles. They’re just brothers and I’m a friend.”

“Oh.” Susan nodded. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“What’d you mean that we look the type?” Dean asked.

“You know, speaking of antiques, you have a really, really interesting urn on the front porch,” Sam commented. “Where did you get that?”

Susan shrugged. “Oh, I have no idea, it’s been there forever.” She replied as she handed Dean a key. “Here you go, Mr. Mahagov.”

“Thanks.” He replied.

Susan dinged the bell. “You’ll be staying in room 237. Sherwin, could you show these three to their room?”

As she said this, Dean turned to see an old, balding man in a black blazer shuffling up behind him. “Let me guess. Antiquers?” Sherwin asked. He dragged Dean’s clunking duffle bag behind him, up the steps, as the trio followed.

“I could give you a hand with that bag,” Dean commented.

“I got it,” Sherwin assured him.

“Okay.” Dean nodded.

“So the hotel’s closing up, huh?” Sam asked.

“Yep. Miss Susan tried to make a go of it, but the guests just don’t come like they used to.” Sherwin said. “Still, it’s a damn shame.”

“Oh yeah?” Angela replied.

“It may not look it anymore, but this place was a palace,” Sherwin said. “Two different vice presidents laid their heads on our pillows. My parents worked here, I practically grew up here. Gonna miss it. Here’s your room.” He added.

Sherwin slipped the key in the lock and opened the door. He handed the key to Sam as he brushed past. Dean turned to shut the door and Sherwin stood there, hand extended expectantly.

“You’re not gonna cheap on me, are you, boy?”

Dean looked annoyed as he pulled out his wallet.

~/~\~

Later, Sam and Angela were sitting, sifting through papers, and Dean was pacing.

He chuckled as he approached what appeared to be an antique wedding dress displayed on a wall like a ghost. “What the-

“What?” Angela and Sam said, looking up.

Dean looked at the two. “What you two are doing is not normal. Though neither is that.” He glanced at the dress. “Why the hell would anyone stay here? I’m amazed they kept in business this long.”

“All right,” Sam replied, changing the subject. Victim number one: Joan Edison, 43 years old, a realtor handling the sale of the hotel; and victim number two was Larry Williams, moving some stuff out to Goodwill.”

“Well, there’s a connection, they’re both tied up in shutting the place down,” Dean noted.

“Yeah.” Angela nodded. “Maybe somebody here doesn’t want to leave, and they’re using hoodoo to fight back.”

“Who do you think our witch doctor is, that Susan lady?” Dean asked.

“No, doesn’t seem likely. I mean, she is the one selling.” Angela replied.

“So what then, Sherwin?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know.” Sam shrugged.

“Of course, the most troubling question is why do these people assume we need a king-sized bed?” Dean mumbled.

Sam and Angela shrugged. “Who knows.” 

Dean shook his head. “You two have to be doing that on purpose.” 

~/~\~

The trio poked around the hallways, and Sam saw another urn and picked it up. It too, had a quincunx inscribed.

“Hey. Look at that. More hoodoo.” Sam muttered.

They approached a door marked ‘PRIVATE’ and Dean knocked. Susan opened the door.

“Hi there.” Dean smiled.

“Hi.” She replied. “Everything okay with you room?”

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s great.” The three hunters replied.

“Well, I was, I was just in the middle of packing,” Susan replied.

“Hey!” Dean grinned, looking past her. “Are those antique dolls?” he asked. “Because this one, this one right here,” he said, slinging an arm around Angela’s shoulders. “She’s got a major doll collection back home. Dontcha? Huh?” he smiled at her.

She glared at Dean and Sam stifled a laugh.

Angela smiled a fake smile at Susan. “Big time.”

“Big time.” He nodded. “You think she could come, or we could come in and take a look?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know-

“Please?” Dean asked. “I mean, she loves them. She’s not gonna tell you this, but she’s, she’s always dressing ‘em up in these little outfits and, um, you’d make her day. You, she would, huh? Huh?”

“It’s true.” Angela nodded. She was gonna kill Dean.

“Okay. Come in.” Susan said.

“All right. All right!” Dean grinned, slapping Angela on the back as he follows her in; Angela just shot him a glare. Sam followed them inside, chuckling.

“Wow. This is a lot of dolls. I mean, they’re nice, you know.” Dean muttered. “Not super creepy at all.”

“Yeah, I suppose they are a little creepy,” Susan said. “But they’ve been in the family forever. A lot of sentimental value.”

“What is this the hotel?” Sam asked, looking at a dollhouse.

“Yeah, that’s right.” Susan nodded. “Exact replica, custom-built.”

Sam leaned down and picked up a broken doll. He frowned. “His head got twisted around. What happened to it?”

“Tyler, probably.” Susan shrugged.

Tyler ran in as if on cue. “Mommy!” she cried. “Maggie’s being mean.”

“Tyler, tell her I said to be nice, okay?” Susan replied.

“Hey, Tyler,” Sam said. “I see you broke your doll. You want me to fix it?”

“I didn’t break it,” Tyler commented. “I found it like that.”

“Oh. Well, uh, maybe Maggie did it.” Sam said.

“No, neither of us did it,” Tyler replied. “Grandma would get mad if we broke ‘em.”

“Tyler, she wouldn’t get mad,” Susan said.

“Grandma?” Dean raised a brow.

“Grandma Rose, these were all her toys,” Tyler said.

“Oh. Really.” Dean nodded. “Where’s Grandma Rose now?”

“Up in her room,” Tyler answered.

“You know, I’d, I’d really love to talk to Rose about her incredible doll-

“No,” Susan said suddenly. “I mean, I’m afraid that’s impossible. My mother’s been very sick and she’s not taking any visitors.”

~/~\~

The three exited the room and talked in hushed voices.

“Well, what do you think?” Dean asked. “Dolls, hoodoo, mysterious shut-in grandma?”

“Well, dolls are used in all kinds of voodoo and hoodoo, like curses, and binding spells, and,” Sam was cut off.

“Yeah, maybe we’ve found our witch doctor.” Dean nodded. “All right, I’ll see what I can go dig up on Granny, you and Angela get online, check for old obits, freak accidents, that sort of thing, see if she’s whacked anybody before.”

“Right.” Sam nodded.

“Don’t go surfing porn, that’s not the kind of whacking I mean,” Dean teased.

Sam and Angela rolled their eyes and turned back to the room as Dean left.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela stared through a lace-curtained window as droopy music played. He watched the coroner cart away the Lawyer’s body; Dean was outside and met Susan as she came back towards the inn.

“What happened?” Dean asked.

“Oh, the maid went in to turn down the sheets and he was just… hanging there.” She murmured.

“That’s awful,” Dean replied. “He was a guest?”

“He worked for the company that bought the place.” She replied.

“Hmm.” He nodded.

“I don’t understand.” She muttered.

“What?” he raised a brow.

“Had a lot of bad luck around here,” Susan said. “Look, if you’d like to check out I’ll give you a full refund.”

“No, thanks. I don’t scare that easy.” He replied.

~/~\~

Sam was sitting in the dark, framed by the half-open door with the key askew in the lock. Angela stood next to the chair Sam sat in, her arms folded across her chest.

Dean entered, shutting the door behind him, all business-mode. “There’s been another one. Some guy just hung himself in his room.”

“Yeah. I saw.” Sam replied darkly as Angela smoothed his hair down.

“We’ve gotta figure this out, and fast,” Dean replied. “What’d you find out about Granny?” he asked.

“Not much…” Angela sighed.

Sam looked at Dean. “You’re bossy.”

Dean looked at Angela, then looked at Sam in surprise. “What?”

“You’re bossy. And short.” He laughed sloppily. “Unlike Angie. She’s nice and fun. Still short though. But it’s at least cute.”

Angela just blushed and shook her head. “He’s been saying stuff like this all night.” 

Dean looked at Sam. “Are you drunk?” he asked before looking at Angela. “Is he drunk?”

“He’s hammered.” Angela sighed.

Sam looked at Dean. “Yeah. So? Stupid.” 

Dean looked around and saw several empty bottles. “Dude, what are you thinking? We’re working a case.”

“That’s what I said,” Angela replied. “I was doing research, and the next thing I know he’s wasted.”

Sam has tears in his eyes, staring at nothing. Then he looked at Angela. “That guy who hung himself. I couldn’t save him.”

“What are you talking about? What is he talking about?” Dean asked. “You didn’t know, you couldn’t have done anything.”

Sam shifted his gaze to Dean. “That’s an excuse, Dean. I should have found a way to save him. I should have saved Ava too.”

Dean approached Sam. “Yeah, well, you can’t save everyone, even you said that.”

Sam slammed the table. “No, Dean, you don’t understand, all right? The more people I save, the more I can change!”

“Change what?” Dean frowned.

Sam leaned forward, his hands on his chest. “My, destiny, Dean!” he exclaimed as he looked up at Angela and grabbed her hand. “OUR destiny!”

“All right.” Dean sighed. “Time for bed. Come on, Sasquatch.” He said, hauling him up by his shoulders. “Come on.”

“I need you to watch out for me. And Angie.” He mumbled.

“Sam, I can look after myself.” She cut in. “And cut the Angie crap.”

Dean looked at Sam. “Yeah, I’ll look out for you two.”

“No! No, no, no. You have to watch out for me, all right? And even if I ever turn into something I’m not because Angie won’t turn into a monster, I know it,” he paused. “You have to kill me.”

“Sam,” Dean said dismissively.

Angela sat on the foot of the bed. “Sam, you’re not gonna turn into a monster. Neither am I. Promise.” She assured him. “No one’s killing anybody.”

Sam shoved Dean to face him. “Dean! Dad told you to do it, you have to.”

“Yeah, well, Dad’s an ass,” Dean said. Sam frowned in confusion. “He never should have said anything, I mean, you don’t do that, you don’t, you don’t lay that kind of crap on your kids.”

“No,” Sam said. “He was right to say it! Who knows what I might become? Even now, everyone around me dies!”

“Yeah, well, I’m not dying, okay? Neither is Angie, and neither are you. Come on. Sam.” He said. He pushed Sam onto the bed as Angela got up.

Sam just stayed seated, reaching up and clutching Dean’s jacket. Dean’s right hand curled into the fabric at Sam’s shoulder.

“No, please! Dean, you’re the only one who can do it. Promise.” Sam begged.

“Don’t ask that of me.”

“Dean, please. You have to promise me.”

Dean paused and pursed his lips. “I promise.”

“Thanks,” Sam whispered. He grabbed Dean’s face with both hands. “Thank you.”

“All right.” Dean nodded. “Come on.”

He batted Sam’s hands away and shoved him back on the bed. Sam fell back and then turned on his belly to plant his face in the pillow, hugging it with both arms. Dean rubbed a hand over his face.

Angela looked at Dean. “I want you to promise me something.” 

“What?” he frowned.

“I could turn into a monster too. If that happens, you have to kill me also.”

“What? No!” Dean replied. “Angela, you cannot ask me to do that.”

“Dean. Promise.” She ordered firmly. “I don’t wanna end up killing anyone either, and to be honest I’m scared of what I could become Dean. I’m no saint.”

“Fine.” He muttered reluctantly. “I promise…” 

~/~\~

After Angela fell asleep Dean went down to the antique, empty bar. Sherwin was behind the bar, and Dean sat down.

“Find any good antiques?” he asked.

Dean looked up at him. “Um, no. No, I got distracted.”

“Have a drink.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Dean muttered. Sherwin poured a drink. “So, poor guy, huh? Killing himself?”

“That kind of thing seems to be going around lately,” Sherwin replied.

“Yeah, yeah, I heard about the other ones,” Dean said. “It’s almost like this hotel is cursed or something.”

“Every hotel has its spilled blood,” Sherwin replied. “If people only knew what’s gone on in some of those rooms they’ve checked into.”

“You know a lot about the place, don’t you?”

“Down to the last nail.”

“I’d love to hear some stories,” Dean said.

“Boy, you should never say that to an old man.”

~/~\~

Sherwin led Dean up the wide staircase, showing him old framed photography on the walls. “This is little miss Susan, and her mother Rose. Happier days.”

“They’re not happy now?”

“Well, would you be, leaving the only home you ever knew?”

“I don’t know, I never really knew one,” Dean muttered.

“Well, this is Rose’s home, been in the family over a century. Used to be the family estate. And now she gets to live in some senior living graveyard, and they tear this place down.”

“Yeah, that’s too bad.” Dean nodded. They started walking down the stairs. “I hear Rose isn’t feeling well, either.”

“No, she isn’t.” Sherwin murmured.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“It’s not my business to say,” Sherwin replied.

“Oh.” Dean nodded. He looked at another photo. “Who’s this?”

Sherwin picked up a yellowing photograph of a girl sitting on a chair with a young black woman; the woman had a quincunx necklace.

“That’s Rose when she was a little girl.”

“Who’s that with her?” Dean asked.

“That’s her nanny, Marie. She looked after Rose more than her own mother.”

Dean frowned in concern as Sherwin replaced the photo.


	6. Playthings Part 2

Sam was kneeling miserably in front of the toilet, and Angela knelt beside him, keeping his hair away from his face.

Dean entered the room, grinning at the sight. “How you feeling, Sammy?” he asked, earning a groan in response. “I guess mixing whiskey and Jaeger wasn’t such a gangbuster idea, was it?” he added. “I’ll bet you don’t remember a thing from last night, do you?”

Sam groaned. “I can still taste the tequila.”

Dean smiled in relief. “You know, there’s a really good hangover remedy, it’s a, it’s a greasy pork sandwich served up in a dirty ashtray.”

Sam heaved. “Oh, I hate you.” 

“I know you do,” Dean replied. “Hey, turns out when Grandma Rose was a tyke she had a Creole nanny who wore a hoodoo necklace.”

“Do you think she taught Rose hoodoo?” Angela frowned.

“Yes, I do.” Dean nodded.

“All right,” Sam said, standing painfully. “I think it’s time we talked to Rose, then.”

Both Dean and Angela grimaced.

“Oh. You can most definitely brush your teeth first.” Angela muttered.

~/~\~

The three hunters approached the door marked ‘PRIVATE’ and knocked.

“Hello? Susan?” Angela asked.

Dean looked around furtively and Sam looked at him.

“Clear?” Sam raised a brow.

“Mm-hmm.” Dean nodded.

Sam knelt before the door and started picking the lock.

~/~\~

They entered the creepy doll room and went to the door in the back; it was opened, and they went through to find a dimly lit staircase. They crept upstairs and to the end of another hallway, into a small room whose door was ajar. Rose was seated in a wheelchair facing the rainy window, her back to them. They approached cautiously.

“Mrs. Thompson? Mrs. Thompson?” Sam asked. The woman just started trembling, staring at nothing.

“Rose?” Angela whispered. “Hi, Mrs. Thompson, we’re not here to hurt you, it’s okay-

“Rose?” Sam asked. “Dean, Angela.” He muttered, drawing them over to the side. “This woman’s had a stroke.”

“Yeah, but hoodoo’s hands-on, I mean, you’ve got to mix herbs, and chant, and build an altar,” Dean said.

“Yeah.” Sam nodded. “So it can’t be Rose. Hey, maybe it’s not even hoodoo.”

“Or she could be faking,” Dean replied.

“Yeah, what are you gonna do, poke her with a stick?” Sam raised a brow.

Dean frowned, almost thinking about the idea.

“Dean!” Angela hissed. “You’re not gonna poke her with a stick!” she smacked him on the arm.

“Ow,” he muttered. “Do you just like hitting me?” he grumbled.

Susan entered the room and went wide-eyed. “What the hell?!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing in here?”

“Oh, we just wanted to talk to Rose…” Sam started.

“Well, the door was open…” Dean interrupted.

“We weren’t gonna hurt her or anything…” Angela added.

“Look at her, she is scared out of her wits.” Susan glared. “I want you out of my hotel in two minutes or I’m calling the cops.”

Sam, Dean, and Angela nodded and quickly left the room.

~/~\~

A creepy wind blew, and Susan stared as the full-sized swing set also began to move on its own. She approached the playground cautiously; all the playsets were moving, and the car started behind her. She laid a hand on the teeter-totter to stop it. Everything started moving faster, and suddenly the car revved its engine and came straight at her.

At the last moment, Sam appeared, tackling her out of the way. “Are you okay?”

“I think so.” She breathed out.

“Come, come on. Let’s get inside, let’s go.” Dean said.

~/~\~

The three of them guided Susan into the bar and to a table.

“Whiskey,” Susan muttered.

“Sure.” Sam nodded. “I know the feeling.”

“What the hell happened out there?”

“You want the truth?” Angela asked.

“Of course.” She nodded.

“Well, at first we thought it was some sort of hoodoo curse, but that out there?” Dean replied. “That was definitely a spirit.”

Sam handed her a glass of whiskey. “Here”

“You’re insane,” Susan muttered.

“Yeah, it’s been said.” Dean shrugged.

“Look, I’m sorry, Susan,” Sam said. “We don’t exactly have the time to ease you into this, but we need to know when your mother had the stroke.”

“What does that have to so with any-

“Just answer the question,” Angela said softly.

“About a month ago.”

“Right before the killings began.” Angela murmured. “See? So what if Rose was working hoodoo, but not to hurt anyone. To protect them.”

“She was using the five spot urns to ward off the spirit,” Dean muttered.

“Right, until she had a stroke and she couldn’t anymore.” Sam nodded.

“I don’t believe this,” Susan said.

“Listen, sister, that car didn’t try to run you down by itself, okay?” Dean replied. “I mean, I guess it did, technically, but, but the spirit can...forget it.”

“Look, believe what you want. But the fact is you and your family are in danger, all right? So you need to clear everybody out of here: your employees, your mother, your daughters, everyone.” Sam instructed.

“Um, I only have one daughter.” Susan corrected.

“One?” Angela frowned.

“I thought Tyler had a sister named Maggie,” Dean replied.

“Maggie’s imaginary.” Susan replied.

Sam and Angela looked at each other, then at Susan.

“Where’s Tyler?” they asked simultaneously.

~/~\~

Susan led Sam, Dean, and Angela to the playroom.

“Tyler!” Susan yelled.

They went into the room; the floor was littered with broken dolls.

Susan started to panic. “Oh my God. Tyler. Tyler! She’s not here!”

“Susan.” Angela attempted to calm the woman down. “Tell us what you know about Maggie.”

“Uh, not much.” She shrugged. “Um, Tyler’s been talking about her since Mom got sick.”

“Okay, did you ever know anyone by that name?” Angela asked.

“Uh, no…”

“Think, think, I mean, somebody that could have lived here, might have passed away?” Dean asked.

“Oh my God.” realization hit Susan. “My mom. My mom had a sister named Margaret. She barely spoke about her.”

“Did Margaret happen to die here when she was a kid?” Sam asked.

“She drowned in the pool.”

“Come on.” Dean said.

~/~\~

Susan Sam, Dean, and Angela ran through the gardens to the pool house. They reached the door and pounded on it. It was locked tight, and Sam, Dean, and Angela started pounding at the glass to break it.

“Tyler!” Susan shouted.

“Mommy!”

Maggie grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward; she fell into the pool with a scream.

“Is there another entrance?” Dean asked.

“Around back.”

Dean nodded. “All right, let’s go.” Dean replied and looked at Sam and Angela. “Keep working.”

As they ran around the building, Sam and Angela continued to pound at the door; Sam looked back and noticed a large potted plant. He pulled the plant out and picked up the heavy pot. “Get out of the way.” He said to Angela, who moved quickly. He started pounding the door with the pot.

Inside, Tyler floundered in the water as Maggie held her head down.

Dean approached the back door and held Susan aside. “Stand back.” He said. He front-kicked the door, twice, but it hardly budged. “Son of a bitch!”

As Maggie held Tyler’s head underwater, a wavering voice called her from above.

“Margaret. Margaret!” Rose exclaimed.

Sam finally broke through the glass and wriggled through the opening, Angela following suit.

Angela looked at the pool from the railing. “Can’t be that bad of a jump…” 

Sam’s brows furrowed. “What?” he asked. Before he could stop her, Angela leaped over the railing and into the pool. “Angela!” he yelled, jumping after her.

Angela tried pushing past the plastic but ended up getting tangled and stuck in it. Water started filling her lungs, and she tried swimming up to the surface, failing. Sam pushed past the plastic covering and reached an unconscious Tyler, lifting her into his arms.

Dean broke through the back door, and he and Susan met Sam as he exited the pool. A moment later Tyler coughed and woke up.

“Thank god!” Susan cried.

“Mommy!”

Sam looked back at the pool, frowning. “Angela…”

He dove back into the pool and untangled her from the plastic wrapping. He lifted her into his arms. She was unconscious, and when Sam got out of the pool he laid her on the ground carefully.

“Come on…” he muttered. “Wake up Angela…” he whispered. “Angie, please, come on.” He said. He let out a shaky breath when she didn’t reply or wake up. Sam looked at Tyler. “Tyler, do you see Maggie anywhere?”

“No, she’s gone.” She replied. “Mommy.”

~/~\~

Susan held Tyler close as they went up to Rose’s room. “Don’t worry, honey, we’re leaving in two minutes, we’ve just got to get Grandma.”

Dean looked at Sam and Angela, who was awake and wrapped in a blanket.

“I don’t get it, did Maggie just stop?” Dean asked.

“Seems like it.” Sam nodded.

“Well, where the hell did she go?” Dean muttered.

Upstairs, Susan screamed. The boys ran to Rose’s room after telling Angela to stay put. They found Rose slumped in her wheelchair, dead.

~/~\~

“Paramedics said it was another stroke,” Susan said to the three hunters. “Do you think Margaret could have had something to do with it?”

“We don’t know.” Dean shrugged.

“But it’s possible, yeah.” Angela murmured. “Susan, I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. You’ve given me everything.” Susan smiled softly. “Ready to go, kiddo?” she asked Tyler as she came out.

“Yeah.” The little girl nodded.

“Now Tyler, you’re sure Maggie’s not around anymore?” Dean asked.

“I’m sure. I’d see her.”

“I guess whatever’s going on must be over,” Angela muttered.

Sam held the taxi door open for Susan. “You two take care of yourselves, all right?” 

Before she got in the taxi, she turned and gave Sam a full-body hug. Dean smirked, and Angela just smiled softly.

“Thank you. All three of you.” Susan murmured.

Sam shut the door behind her.

“Think you could have hooked up some MILF action there, bud.” Dean grinned. “I’m serious, I think she liked you.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that’s all she needs.”

“Well, you saved the mom, you saved the girl.” Dean shrugged and looked over at Angela. “You saved this one right here.” He ruffled her hair. “Not a bad day. ‘Course you know, I could have saved them myself, but I didn’t want you to feel useless.”

“All right, I appreciate it.” Sam sighed.

“Feels good getting back in the saddle, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, it does.” Sam nodded. “But it doesn’t change what we talked about last night, Dean.”

“We talked about a lot of things last night.”

“You know what I mean.”

“You were wasted,” Dean replied.

“But you weren’t. And you promised.”

“All right, you two coming?” he asked, walking towards the Impala.

“Yeah, I just wanna talk to Angela,” Sam replied. 

“I’m getting a talking to, aren’t I?” she asked.

“Damn right.” Sam nodded. “Angie, I don’t want you to ever pull a stunt like that again.” He said seriously. “You could’ve died. Came pretty damn close to it too.” He added and smiled slightly. “And we like having you around, so be more careful.”

She smiled softly. “Can’t promise that I won’t do things like that, but I can promise that I’ll be a tad more careful.” She whispered. “Thanks for saving my ass. Now, c’mon, Dean’s waiting.”

They got in the car. Dean flicked his eyes towards Sam and Angela in worry. He also remembered his talk with Angela last night…And he felt terrible keeping it from Sam… He sighed heavily and pulled away from the inn.


	7. Nightshifter Part 1

A female reporter spoke off-camera. “We’re here downtown in front of the City Bank of Milwaukee, and though a short exchange of weapons fire occurred just minutes ago, police and SWAT teams maintain position as we enter the third hour of this intense standoff.” She said. The camera panned over to the reporter. “Authorities estimate as many as ten hostages are being held inside the bank; no word as yet on the identity of the suspects, or, uh,” there was a commotion behind her. “Something’s happening. I think they’re opening the door. Roger, are you getting this?”

Police and other people nearby shouted over each other as the camera refocused to the front of the bank.

“No, don’t shoot, don’t shoot!” a man’s voice pleaded.

“No, no, no, don’t even think about it!” Dean’s voice replied. “Get the hell back!”

Two men exited the bank: a terrified security guard, and Dean, who pushed the other man in front of him and held a rifle.

~/~\~

An attractive young woman, Frannie came out of the back with some papers in her hand. Dean, dressed in a dark suit, turned to face her as she spoke. 

“So what’s it like, being an FBI guy?” she asked.

“Well, it’s dangerous.” He replied. “And the secrets we’ve gotta keep, oh. God, the secrets. But mostly it’s, it’s lonely.”

“I _so_ know what you mean.” She nodded.

“Yeah.” He murmured.

~/~\~

Elsewhere in the store; Sam, also dressed in a suit with slicked hair, and Angela, who was dressed in a white blouse, a black blazer, a pencil skirt, and heels were interrogating the manager, a middle-aged man.

“Helena was our head buyer.” The manager said. “She… she was family, you know? She said it herself, every year at the Christmas party. She said we were the only family she had.”

“So there were never any signs that’d she’d do something like this?” Angela asked.

“No. Still can’t believe it.” He replied. “That night, Helena came back to the store after closing. Cleaned out all the display cases, and the safe. Edgar, out night watchman, he caught her in the act. He didn’t know what to do, he’d known her for years. He called me at home.”

“And that’s when she took his gun?” Sam asked.

“She shot him in the face.” He replied. “I heard him die. Over the phone.”

“Any idea what her motive could have been?” Angela asked curiously.

“What motive?” the manager asked. “It makes no sense. Why steal all those diamonds, all that jewelry, and then what? Just dump it somewhere, just hide it, and go home, and-”

~/~\~

“She killed herself?” Dean asked Frannie.

“Well, the cops said she dropped the hairdryer in the bath and fried herself.” She nodded. “They should know, right?”

“Yeah. Well, thank you, Frannie, I think that’s all I need.” Dean nodded.

“Really?” she asked. “Because I’ve got more. You know,” she looked around slyly. “If you wanted to interview me some time. In private?”

Dean eyed Sam guiltily across the room. “Yeah. Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. You’re a true patriot, you really are. Why don’t you write your number down there for me?”

~/~\~

“So you never saw the security camera footage yourself, then?” Sam asked.

“No. The police, they took all the tapes, first thing.”

“Yeah, of course, they did,” Dean said, approaching them, waving Frannie’s number at Sam and Angela.

~/~\~

Leaving the jewelry store, Sam, Dean, and Angela drove down a dark street and pulled up in front of a small house.

“Five, this is it,” Angela said.

“Friggin’ cops,” Dean muttered.

“They’re just doing their job, Dean,” Sam defended.

“No, they’re doing our job, only they don’t know it, so they suck at it,” Dean muttered. “Talk to us about this bank.”

The three got out of the car and approached the house.

“Uh, Milwaukee National Trust, it was hit about a month ago,” Sam replied.

“Same M.O. as the jewelry store?” Angela asked.

“Yep, inside job, longtime employee, the never-in-a-million-years type,” Sam said. “Dude robs a bank, then goes home and supposedly commits suicide.”

“The guy Resnick, he was the security guard on duty?” Dean raised a brow.

“Yeah. He was actually beaten unconscious by the teller who heisted the place.” Sam nodded.

“God,” Dean muttered.

“Yeah,” Sam replied.

Angela knocked on the screen door. “Mr. Resnick? Ronald Resnick?” 

A bright floodlight turned on, and they shielded their eyes.

“Son of a b-

A youngish man appeared in the doorway warily.

“FBI, Mr. Resnick.” Sam said.

“Let me see the badge.” He replied.

The trio pulled out their badges and slapped them against the screen door in unison.

Ronald squinted at them carefully. “I already gave my statement to the police.”

“Yeah, listen, Ronald, uh… just some things about your statement we wanted to get some clarification on,” Dean replied.

“You read it?” Ronald asked, wide-eyed.

“Sure did.” Dean nodded.

“And you want to listen to what I’ve got to say?” he asked.

“Well, that’s why we’re here,” Dean said.

“Well. Come on in.” Ronald grinned. He opened the door and led them through a narrow hallway to a cluttered room; the walls were covered with alien photos and conspiracy theory paraphernalia. “None of the cops ever called me back. Not after I told them what was really going on.” He said. “Uh, they all thought I was crazy. First off, Juan Morales never robbed the Milwaukee National Trust, okay? That I guarantee. See, we and Juan were friends, he used to come back to the bank on my night shifts and we’d play cards.”

“So you let him into the bank that night, after hours,” Angela said.

“The thing I let into the bank… wasn’t Juan. I mean, it had his face, but it wasn’t his face.” He tried to explain. “Uh, every detail was perfect, but too perfect, like, you know, like if a doll maker made it, like I was talking to a big Juan-doll.”

“A Juan-doll?” Sam raised a brow.

“Look. This wasn’t the only time this happened. Okay?” Ronald replied as he handed Sam a file folder. “There was this jewelry store, too. And the cops, and you guys, you just won’t see it!” he added.

Sam looked at the folder; it looked like a hunter’s profile of the jewelry case.

“Both crimes were pulled by the same thing,” Ronald said.

“What’s that, Mr. Resnick?” Angela asked.

Ronald picked up a copy of a magazine called ‘Fortean Times’ and held it to his chest. The headline at the bottom read ‘BIRTH OF THE CYBERMEN’. “Chinese have been working on ‘em for years. And the Russians before that. Part men, part machine. Like the Terminator. But the kind that can change itself, make itself look like other people.”

Dean smirked. “Like the one from T2.” 

“Exactly!” Ronald exclaimed. “See, so not just a robot, more of a, uh, a Mandroid.”

“A Mandroid?” Sam and Angela asked.

“And what makes you so sure about this, Ronald?” Dean asked.

Ronald held up a finger, smiling widely. He inserted a VHS tape labeled ‘M.N.T. Camera 4 – Juan’ into a player. “See, I made copies of all the security tapes. I knew once the cops got them they’d be buried. Here," He fast-forwarded the tape. “Now watch. Watch. Watch him, watch, watch! See, look! There it is!” he exclaimed. “You see? He’s got the laser eyes.”

On the tape it showed Juan, facing the camera, with a light-flare in his eyes. The three hunters shared a knowing look.

“Cops said it was some kind of reflected light,” Ronald said. “Some kind of ‘camera flare’. Okay? Ain’t no damn camera flare. They say I’m a post-trauma case. So what? Bank goes and fires me, it don’t matter!”

Sam and Angela eyed him cautiously as he continued his rant.

“The mandroid is, is still out there,” Ronald said. “The law won’t hunt this thing down, I’ll do it myself. You see, this thing, it, it kills the real person, makes it look like a suicide, then it sorta like, morphs into that person. Cases the job for a while until it knows the take is fat, and then it finds its opening. Now, these robberies, they’re, they’re grouped together.” He explained. He gestured to a map on the wall. “So I figure the mandroid is holed up somewhere in the middle, underground, maybe. I don’t know, maybe that’s where it recharges its, uh, mandroid batteries.”

Dean nodded, apparently impressed. Sam and Angela just stared at Ronald intently, all three of them stood.

“Okay,” Angela muttered. She looked at Ronald. “I want you to listen very carefully.” She stated. “Because I’m about to tell you the God’s honest truth about all of this. There’s no such thing as Mandroids. There’s nothing evil or inhuman going on out there. Just people. Nothing else, you understand?”

Dean kept a straight face, but was clearly startled.

“The laser eyes,” Ronald replied, desperately.

“Just a camera flare, Mr. Resnick,” Sam said. “Look, I know you don’t want to believe this. But your friend Juan robbed the bank and that’s it.”

Ronald glared. “Get out of my house! Now!”

“Sure,” Sam said calmly. “First things first.”

Dean just frowned at Sam and Angela in confusion.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela returned to their motel room, which had the obligatory tacky wall decorations. They were dressed in ordinary clothing again.

“Man, that has got to be the kicker, straight up,” Dean said. “I mean, you two tell that poor son of a bitch that, what did you say, remand the tapes that he copied? Classified evidence of an ongoing investigation?”

Angela sat down next to Sam to watch the tape. “What are you, pissed at us or something?” 

“No, I just think it’s a little creepy how good of Feds you two are.” Dean shrugged. “I mean, come on, we could have at least thrown the guy a bone. He did some pretty good legwork here.”

“Mandroid?” Sam raised a brow.

“Except for the mandroid part.” Dean agreed. “I liked him. He’s not that different from us, people think we’re crazy.”

“It’s different Dean,” Angela said.

“Yeah, she’s right.” Sam nodded. “He’s not a hunter, Dean. He’s just a guy who stumbled onto something real. If he were to go up against this thing he’d get torn apart. Better to stay in the dark, and stay alive.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Dean muttered. Dean placed tracing paper over the map and started marking it with a red pen as Sam paused the tape on the flaring eyes.

“Shapeshifter,” Sam muttered. “Just like back in St. Louis. Same retinal reaction to the video.”

“Eyes flare at the camera. I hate those friggin’ things.” Dean mumbled.

“You think I don’t?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, well, one didn’t turn into you and frame you for murder,” Dean said.

“Well, look. If this shifter’s anything like the one we killed in Missouri,” Sam started.

“Then Ronald was right. All right, they like to layer up underground, preferably the sewer. And all the robberies have been connected so far, right?”

“Yeah.” Angela and Sam replied.

“With the, uh, sewer main layout,” Dean said. “There’s one more bank lined up on that same sewer main.”

~/~\~

A security guard led Sam, Dean, and Angela, now uniformed as technicians, down the main hall.

“Well, we haven’t had any flags go up on our system yet.” The guard said.

“No, this is a glitch in the overall grid, we just want to make sure the branch monitors are kosher,” Dean replied.

“Well, better to be safe than sorry, I guess.” The guard said.

“That’s the plan.” Dean nodded.

~/~\~

The guard opened the door to an observation room with several TV screens showing security footage.

“All righty. You three need anything else?” the guard asked.

“Oh, no, no, we’ll be, uh, we’ll be in and out before you know it, just a routine check,” Angela replied.

“Okie-Dokie.” The guard nodded, leaving.

“I like him,” Dean said. “He says ‘okie-dokie’.”

“What if he’s the shifter?” Sam asked.

“Well, then we follow him home, put a silver bullet through his chest plate.” Dean shrugged.

They sat down to watch the screens.

“Okay.” Dean nodded. “Well, you got any popcorn?”

Angela just smacked his arm lightly, signaling for him to pay attention. He just stuck his tongue out at her in response.

~/~\~

Later, they were still reviewing the screens; the guard was in one, and his eyes were normal.

“Well, it looks like mister okie-dokie is… okie-dokie.” Dean said.

“Maybe we jumped a bullet on this, guys. I mean, we don’t even know if it’s here.” Angela said.

“Mm-hmm,” Dean replied, distracted.

“Maybe we should just go back to the sewers and... and…” she continued. She saw Dean zooming one of the cameras in on the ass of an attractive young woman who was behind over. She smacked him again. “Focus.”

“Dean, we’re supposed to be looking for eyes,” Sam said, exasperated.

“I’m getting there,” Dean said.

“Oh yeah?” Sam asked.

“Wait a minute,” Dean replied. On another screen, a middle-aged man turned towards the camera; his eyes flared. “Hello, freak.”

“Got him,” Sam muttered.

Sam headed for the door, but Dean and Angela stayed behind, looking at another screen.

“Sam!” Angela said.

“What?” he asked.

They watched as Ronald scurried up to the outer door with a chain and a padlock, chaining the door shut.

“Hello, Ronald,” Dean muttered.

~/~\~

The trio walked down a hallway towards the main hall; a few panicked people brushed past them, running the other way.

“And you said we shouldn’t bring guns,” Dean muttered.

“Angela and I didn’t know this was gonna happen, Dean,” Sam replied.

“Just let me do the talking. I don’t think he likes you two very much, Agent Johnson and Agent Dyer.”

~/~\~

Ronald held up a key. “Now, there’s only one way in or out of here, and I chained it up.” He said. “So nobody’s leaving, do you understand?”

“Hey, buddy,” Dean said as he entered. “Calm down. Just calm down,”

“What the... You! Get on the floor, now.” Ronald commanded.

“Okay, we’re doing that.” Dean nodded. “Just don’t shoot anybody, especially us.”

“I knew it,” Ronald muttered. “As soon as you three left. You ain’t FBI. Who are you? Who are you working for, huh? The men in black? You working for the mandroid?”

“We’re not working for the mandroid!” Angela and Sam exclaimed.

“You two, shut up!” Ronald yelled. “I ain’t talking to you two, I don’t like either of you.”

Dean shot them an ‘I told you so’ look.

“Fair enough.” Angela nodded.

Ronald looked at one of the hostages. “Get on ‘em. Frisk them down, make sure they got no weapons on them. Go!”

A middle-aged black man went over to the three and frisked them; he found a knife in Dean’s boot.

“Now what have we here?” Ronald asked.

“I’m not just gonna walk in here naked!” Dean defended when Sam and Angela sent him a look.

Ronald took the knife. “Get back there.”

“No, no, no, no, no!” Dean winced. “We know you don’t want to hurt anybody. That’s exactly what’s gonna happen if you keep waving that cannon around, and why don’t you let these people go?”

“No!” Ronald replied. “I already told you. If nobody’s gonna stop this thing, then I’ve got to do it myself.”

“Hey, we believe you!” Dean replied. “That’s why we’re here.”

“You don’t believe me. Nobody believes me! How could they?”

“Come here,” Dean said.

“What?” Ronald asked. “No.”

“You’re holding the gun, boss, you’re calling the shots,” Dean replied. “I just want to tell you something. Come here.”

Ronald approached cautiously and leaned in.

“It’s the bank manager,” Dean whispered.

“What?” Ronald frowned.

“Why do you think we’ve got these getups, huh? We’ve been monitoring the cameras in the back. We saw the bank manager, we saw his eyes.”

“His laser eyes?”

“Yes. No. No! No, look, we’re running out of time, okay? We’ve got to find him before he changes into someone else.”

“Like I’m gonna listen to you. You’re a damn liar.”

Dean stood cautiously, hands out.

“I’ll shoot you!” Ronald yelled. “Get down!”

“Take me,” Dean said. “Okay? Take me with you, take me as a hostage. But we’ve gotta act fast. Because the longer we just sit here the more time he has to change.” Dean added. He paused. “Look at me, man. I believe you. You’re not crazy. There really is something inside this bank.”

“All right. You come with me.” Ronald whispered. “But everyone else gets in the vault!”

~/~\~

Ronald ushered the hostages, including Sam and Angela, into the vault. “Come on, move, move! Move, move!” he yelled. “And you lock it up.” He looked at Dean.

“It’s okay, everyone. Just stay cool.” Dean said as he started shutting the door. He shrugged at Sam and Angela in apology, then slammed the door shut.

~/~\~

A young redhead, Sherry stared after Dean. “Who is that man?”

“He’s my brother,” Sam replied, worry in his voice.

“He is so brave.” Sherry smiled dreamily.

Sam nearly rolled his eyes and Angela just shook her head, sighing.

~/~\~

Ronald preceded Dean into a series of offices; Dean had removed his uniform jacket to reveal a flannel shirt.

“Check behind the desk,” Dean said.

As Dean checked a back room, Ronald fell, yelling. Dean came back out, eyes darting. Ronald was lying on the floor next to a slimy pile of skin.

He screamed and stood, pointing his gun at it. “What the hell is that?”

Dean turned a lamp on the pile. “Oh great.” He muttered. “When it changes form it sheds its old skin. So now it could be anybody again.” He said after a pause.

Ronald picked up a piece of skin, smelling it. “It’s so weird. Its robot skin is so lifelike.”

“Okay, let’s get something straight. It’s not a mandroid. It’s a shapeshifter.” Dean said.

“Shapeshifter?” Ronald asked.

“Yeah.” Dean nodded. “I mean, it’s human, more or less. Has human drives, and in this case, it’s money. But it generates its own skin, it can shape it to match someone else’s features, you know, taller, shorter, male,”

“So it, it kills someone and then takes their place?” Ronald asked.

“Kills them, doesn’t kill them, I don’t think it really matters.”

“What are you doing?”

Dean picked up a letter opener from the desk and examined it. He sighed in relief. “Nice.” He muttered. “You remember the old werewolf stories? Pretty much came from these guys. Silver’s the only thing I’ve seen that hurts them.” He said. “Come on, Ronald.” He said, walking out.

Ronald grimaced at the skin, and followed Dean, grinning.

~/~\~

Ronald was following Dean down a wider hallway, still chuckling.

“What are you, nuts?” Dean asked.

“That’s just it. I’m not nuts. I mean, I was so scared I was losing my marbles. But this is real! I mean, I, I was right! Except for the mandroid thing. Thank you.”

“Yeah, don’t mention it,” Dean replied.

Suddenly, the power cut out; a few emergency lights clicked on.

“Dammit! No, no, no, no, no.” Dean said.

“What? What is it?”

“They cut the power. Probably their way of saying hi.”

“Who?” Ronald asked.

“The cops.”

“The cops?!”

Dean stopped. “Well, you weren’t exactly a smooth criminal about this, Ron. I mean, you didn’t even secure the security guard. He probably called them.”

“Well, I, I didn’t think to-“

“All right, hang on, hang on, let’s just take a breath here for a second, all right? They, they’ve probably got us surrounded. They’ve cut the power to the cameras so there’s no way of telling who the shapeshifter is.” Dean replied. “It’s not looking good, Ron.”

Ronald flinched at a noise and brought the rifle up.

“Did you hear that?” Dean asked.


	8. Nightshifter Part 2

It was now dark in the vault as well, and a few of the hostages were fanning themselves. Sherry was still babbling at Sam and Angela, much to their annoyance.

“Has your brother always been so, um, wonderful?” she asked Sam. “I mean, staring down that gun. And you know, the way he played right into the psycho’s crazy head, telling him what he wanted to hear, I mean, he’s like, a real hero or, or something.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” Sam nodded.

“Look, I like Dean and all, he’s a great friend,” Angela started. “But Sam here is pretty damn amazing too. I mean, he’s so kind and caring and smart. One time he saved this little girl and me from drowning not too long ago. Sam’s a real hero too.” 

Sam and Sherry looked at her. Sam had a small smile on his face.

“Oh.” Sherry nodded. “That’s nice.”

Suddenly, the door opened to reveal Dean and he held a handgun.

Sherry grinned. “Oh my god, you saved up!” she exclaimed. “You saved us!”

“Actually, I just found a few more,” Dean replied. “Come on, everybody, let’s go. Let’s go.”

Sherry stared in confusion as several more people, including the guard from earlier, were herded inside.

“What are you doing?” Sherry frowned.

“Sam, Angela, look, uh, Ronald and I need to talk to you,” Dean said, ignoring Sherry.

Sam and Angela left the vault and Dean shut the door behind them, shrugging apologetically.

“It’s shed its skin again,” Dean said. “We don’t know when, it could be in the halls, it could be in the vault.”

“Great.” Sam sighed. “You know, Dean, you are wanted by the police.”

“Yeah.” Dean nodded.

“So even if we do find this damn thing, how the hell are we gonna get out of here?” Sam asked

“Well, one problem at a time,” Dean said. “All right, I’m gonna do a sweep of the whole place, see if we can find and stragglers. Once we get everyone together we’ve got to play a little game of find-the-freak, so… here.” He added, handing Sam a silver letter opener. “Found another one these for you. Now stay here, make sure Ronald doesn’t hurt anybody, okay? Help him manage the situation.”

“Help him manage?” Angela asked. “Are you insane?”

Dean looked past Sam and Angela and gave Ronald a grinning thumbs-up. “Look, I know this isn’t going the way we wanted,”

“Understatement!” Sam shouted.

“But if we invite the cops in right now, Ronald gets arrested, we get arrested, Angela probably gets arrested, the shifter gets away, probably never find it again, okay?”

Ronald was peering out the window, in plain view, and Sam gestured at him in exasperation.

“Ron! Out of the light!” Dean said.

“Seriously?!” Angela and Sam looked at Dean.

“Yeah, Ron’s game plan was a bad plan, I mean, it was a bit of a crazy plan, but right now crazy’s the only game in town, okay?” he replied. Dean slapped Sam on the shoulder, ruffled Angela’s hair, and left. Sam leaned back and rolled his eyes at Ronald while Angela just shook her head.

“Hi, Ronald,” Sam greeted.

~/~\~

Dean crept along the dark hallways with a flashlight, listening for sounds and watching for movement.

~/~\~

The hostages were fanning themselves again, and Sherry looked angry. The guard began clutching his chest and breathing hard.

“I’m going to leave this open,” Sam said. “Give you guys some fresh air, all right? But no one leaves this vault.”

The phone rang, and Ronald spun around, panicked.

“I don’t understand, why are you two helping him?” Sherry asked.

“You wouldn’t believe us if we told you,” Angela answered.

Ronald picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“I think I gotta get out of here!” the guard said, pained.

“Look, I’m very sorry, but you’re just going to have to stay put, all right?” Sam replied.

“What?” Ronald asked. “What do you mean, demands?”

“Ronald!” Angela said. “Hang up!”

“No, I, I’m not a bank robber, I...” Ronald tried explaining.

“I’ve got to really get out of here.” The guard said.

“Sir, you can’t leave!” Sam replied.

“Kind of a crime fighter, I guess,” Ronald said.

“Ronald!” Angela hissed.

The guard was struggling to the door; several other hostages including a well-built middle-aged man helped him.

“Look,” Sam said to the hostages.

“No, I’m acting alone,” Ronald replied.

Angela sighed and went over to the phone, slamming it to hang up. “Ronald? The less the cops know, the better.”

“Hey!” a man shouted. “I think this dude’s having a heart attack!”

“Get a Doctor!” a woman exclaimed.

“Great,” Sam muttered. “Could be our guy. Could be a trick.”

“You just going to let the man die?” the man asked.

“No one’s dying in here,” Angela replied. “Cover the door.” 

~/~\~

The plainclothes detective was on the phone with Angela; the officer was in the foreground, listening.

_“Can you tell me how many hostages this guy’s taken?”_

“Look, one of the people could be having heart trouble,” Angela replied. “You need to send in a paramedic.”

 _“Just stay calm, we’ll have you folks out of there,”_ the detective started.

“Just send in a paramedic, okay?” Angela pleaded. “And don’t try anything else. Please.”

“Paramedic?” the man asked. “We don’t have time for that, sweetheart!”

“Listen, I, I’m sorry, okay?” Ronald replied. “I am. But nobody’s getting out.”

“He’s dying right in front of you.”

“Help!” the guard exclaimed.

~/~\~

Dean stopped and looked up, seeing a ceiling panel askew. He picked up a coat rack and began poking it. He dislodged it and a naked body fell to the floor. He turned it; it was the man who had been helping the guard.

~/~\~

The man, or the shapeshifter really was still holding up the guard, who was panicked and breathing painfully.

“Come on, you’ve got to open up the door.” The shapeshifter said. “We’ve got to get him out of here.”

Ronald cocked the rifle. “Both of you stay where you are.”

Dean returned and whispered, inaudible, to Sam and Angela. The shapeshifter watched them warily.

Sam went into the vault. “You know, Ronald? He’s right, we’ve got to get this man outside. Come on. I’ve got you.” 

“I’ll help you.” The shifter said.

“Oh, Sam’s got him, it’s cool,” Angela replied. “Thanks though.”

Sam got the guard out of the way, Dean glared at the shifter and approached the vault.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a second?” Dean asked.

The shifter came out. “You got the gun, man. I mean, whatever.” He replied. As he got close enough, he attacked Dean, knocking him to the ground, and then ran into one of the hallways.

Dean quickly chased after him after telling Angela to stay put.

“Stop!” Ronald exclaimed. “Come back here!” he added. He raced after them both, which put him in the open again. Sam and Angela saw a laser sight on his back.

“Get down! Now!” Sam shouted inaudibly at him.

The sniper fired, hitting Ronald squarely in the chest. As he fell, Dean ducked behind a low wall, and Sam and Angela watched in horror. Ronald slumped to his knees, then to the floor, dead.

~/~\~

The hostages ran out of the vault as Dean crawled behind another low wall nearer where Ronald fell. Sam and Angela ducked down beside him, all three of them panting.

Sam pulled out a key and handed it to Dean. “Here, Take care of the guard. I’m going after the shifter.”

“I’ll come with you," Angela replied.

“No, stay here,” Dean ordered firmly. “No arguing, okay?” 

Dean crawled towards Ronald and Angela watched sadly. “Sorry, Ron.” Dean muttered. “You did a real good job tracking this thing, you really did.”

He took the rifle and looked around furtively. He ran off towards the guard, Angela following suit.

~/~\~

Sam approached a broom closet and opened it suddenly; it was empty. He heard something behind him and turned. Sherry screamed; she and the other hostages had gathered, trying to escape.

“Please don’t hurt us!” she exclaimed.

“You shouldn’t be back here right now!” Sam exclaimed. “You’re in danger, now go back to the vault! Now!”

~/~\~

Dean held the guard in front of him and the rifle in the other hand. Dean and Angela approached the front door slowly. Outside, several paramedics pulled a stretcher out of an ambulance.

“Everything’s going to be all right.” Dean said.

“No, don’t shoot! Don’t shoot! Please!” the guard cried.

“No, no, no, no, no! Don’t even think about it!” Angela assured him.

“Please! Don’t shoot!”

“Son of a... I said get back! Now!

~/~\~

“Okay, go, go!” Dean exclaimed.

The guard stumbled out as Dean and Angela drew back inside, shutting the door and latching it.

“We are so screwed.” Dean said, looking at her.

“Definitely.” Angela agreed.

~/~\~

Elsewhere, Sam had found another shed skin. He pulled out his phone and dialed Dean's number.

 _“Yeah?”_ Dean asked, picking up his cell.

“Slipped his skin.”

 _“What?”_

“Yeah, bastard shifts fast. A lot faster than the one in St. Louis.” Sam said. “And how’s Angela? Is she okay?”

 _“God, it’s like playing the shell game. It could be anybody. Again.”_ Dean replied. _“And Angie’s just fine, don’t worry.”_

Sam sighed in relief at Dean’s answer about Angela. “Yeah, I think most of the employees are out of the vault by now.”

_“All right, you search every inch of this place. Angela and I are gonna go round everybody up.”_

~/~\~

Dean and Angela herded the hostages back into the vault.

“And I thought you were one of the good guys.” Sherry said, looking at Dean.

“What’s your name?” Dean asked.

“Why would you care?”

“My name’s Dean. This is Angela, or Angie as I like to call her.”

“And I repeatedly tell you to not do that.” Angela muttered.

Sherry looked at the two of them. “I’m Sherry.”

“Hi, Sherry.” Dean said. “Everything’s going to be all right. This will all be over soon.” 

The phone started ringing and Dean answered it.

 _“This is Special Agent Victor Henriksen.”_ The man on the other line said.

“Yeah, listen, I’m not really in the negotiating mood right now,” Dean replied.

_“Good. Me neither. It’s my job to bring you in; alive’s a bonus but not necessary.”_

“Whoa. Kinda harsh for a Federal Agent, don’t you think?”

_“Well, you’re not the typical suspect, are you, Dean? I want you, Sam, and that girl of yours out here, unarmed. Or we come in. And yes, I know about Sam. Bonnie to your Clyde.”_

“Yeah, well, that part’s true, but how’d you even know we were here?”

_“Go screw yourself, that’s how I knew. It’s become my job to know about you, Dean. And the people you pick up. I’ve been looking for you for weeks now. I know about the murder in St. Louis, I know about the Houdini act you pulled in Baltimore. I know about the desecrations and the thefts. I know about your dad.”_

“Hey, you don’t know crap about my dad.” Dean said darkly.

_“Ex-marine, raised his kids on the road, cheap motels, backwoods cabins. Real paramilitary survivalist type. I just can’t get a handle on what type of whacko he was. White supremacist, Timmy McVeigh, to-may-to, to-mah-to.”_

“You got no right talking about my dad like that. He was a hero.”

_“Yeah. Right. Sure sounds like it. You have one hour to make a decision or we come through those doors full automatic.”_

Dean pounded his forehead in frustration as he hung up.

~/~\~

Sam saw blood on the floor in front of a closet; he opened it quickly, and the half-dressed body of Sherry fell out. Her throat was slit.

“Dammit.” Sam muttered.

~/~\~

Sam returned to the vault room, where Dean and Angela were waiting; the vault was shut.

“Hey. We’ve got a bit of a problem outside.” Dean said.

“We’ve got a problem in here.” Sam replied.

They opened the vault; the hostages flinched and looked around.

“Sherry?” Angela said. “We’re letting you go.”

“What? Why me?”

“Uh, as a show of good faith to the feds, come on,” Dean said.

“Uh, I think I’d, I’d rather stay here, with the others.”

Dean approached her. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist.”

She looked at them warily, Sam was fingering the silver blade.

~/~\~

The three led Sherry back to the hallway.

“I thought you were letting me go.” 

Dean shoved her forward, holding her head and forcing her to look at the body. She began screaming hysterically.

“Is that community theatre, or are you just natural that good?” Dean asked.

“This is the last time you become anybody. Ever.” Angela said.

“Oh god!” Sherry screamed. “Oh.” She fainted.

The three looked at her, baffled, then they looked at the other body. Dean removed the rifle from his shoulder and knelt over Sherry. He raised the blade with a shrug, but Sam put out a hand to stop him.

“Dean, wait, wait, wait. What’s the advantage of this plan?” Sam asked. “I mean, fainting now wouldn’t help it survive.”

Dean looked at the other body. “Huh.” 

He knelt over the other body, then looked up, distracted by a noise. The body opened its eyes; it was the shifter. It lashed out and grabbed Dean by the throat. As he struggled, stabbing at it, Sherry woke up. She screamed again. Sam and Angela went over to her and helped her up. The shifter kneed Dean in the chin and bolted.

~/~\~

Elsewhere, the SWAT team crept through the broken glass and into the bank. Dean ducked around a corner to avoid one.

In another hallway, they found Sherry, who backed against the wall, terrified. “Don’t shoot. Don’t shoot! I work here! Get me out, get me out of here.”

Several of them led her out; two others continued down the hallway. They saw Sam and Angela, who stopped.

“Freeze! Let me see your hands!” one yelled

~/~\~

Dean looked around. He turned and got slammed in the face by the shifter’s hand; he went down.

~/~\~

Sam turned abruptly and took out one policeman, and Angela took out the other.

~/~\~

Dean recovered, settled into a fighting stance. He swiped at it, and it avoided the attack, retaliating. They tussled; he got in two good head-butts. He slashed at her again; she grabbed his wrist and wrenched it up, and he grabbed her forearm; her skin slipped off stickily.

“Gross,” Dean muttered.

She kicked him hard between the legs, several times in the face. He grabbed her leg and wrenched it back, shoving her against the wall. They struggled like that for a moment before he managed to ram the silver blade into her chest. He heard a sound and flinched, the turned and knelt in front of her.

A uniformed man entered the room and stopped. Dean looked back, panting heavily.

~/~\~

Three people in SWAT armor ran out of the bank and through a leveled parking lot. They approached a car and got in; it was the Impala, and the three people are Angela, Dean, and Sam. They get in and pulled off their helmets and hats, panting heavily.

“We are so screwed.” Dean breathed.

“Big time.” Angela agreed.

They pulled out of the parking lot and out of town.


	9. Houses of the Holy Part 1

Gloria was seated quietly on her bed in a psych ward. Her hair was straight and her face clean; she was wearing a bathrobe and reading a book that she held in her left hand. The door opened behind her and she turned. “Good morning. You’re not the usual guys.”

Sam and Angela stood in the doorway wearing scrubs, and Angela held a clipboard.

“No, uh, just filling in.” Angela smiled softly. “So how you feeling today, Gloria?”

“I’ve never felt better.” She shrugged.

“So, no disturbances lately?” Sam asked.

“You mean am I stark raving cuckoo for cocoa puffs?” She raised a brow.

“I didn’t say that,” Sam replied.

“It’s all right.” She shrugged. “I know what people must think.”

“What do you think?” Angela asked softly.

“I think what I saw was real.”

~/~\~

Sam looked around and pulled up two chairs. Both Sam and Angela sat down, and she set the clipboard down.

Angela leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and gave Gloria an intensely earnest look. “We’d like to know what you saw,” 

“It was all over the news. I stabbed a man in the heart.” Gloria replied.

“Why would you do that?” Sam frowned.

“Because it was God’s will,” Gloria said.

“Did God talk to you?” Angela asked.

“No.” she shook her head. “I get the sense God’s a little busy for house calls. No, he, he sent someone.”

“Someone?” Sam asked.

“An angel,” Gloria responded. “It came to me in this beautiful white light, and it filled me with this feeling. It’s, it’s hard to describe.”

“And this angel…” Sam trailed off.

“Spoke God’s Word.”

“And the Word was to kill someone?” Angela raised a brow.

“I know, it sounds strange,” Gloria said. “But what I did was very important. I helped him smite an evil man. I was chosen. For redemption.”

“This man you stabbed, did the angel give you his name?” Sam asked.

“No, he just told me to wait for the sign. And the very next day I saw it, right behind the man’s doorway. And I knew.”

“Why him?” Angela asked softly.

“I just know what the angel told me: that this man was guilty to his deepest foundations. And that was good enough for me.”

~/~\~

Sam and Angela walked out of the psych ward, and Sam stopped Angela. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something, y’know since the whole Milwaukee thing.”

She turned and looked up at him. “Yeah, alright. Shoot.” 

“In the vault, you told Sherry that I was a hero. You really meant all that stuff?” he asked.

“Course I did, Sam. “You’re true hero material. Now c’mon we better go.” Angela assured, grabbing his hand.

Sam just smiled as she tugged him along.

~/~\~

Dean was lying on the motel bed, which was vibrating, as he listened to music on his phone. 

“Hey,” Angela said as she and Sam walked in. She sighed and smacked Dean's boot. “Hey!”

“Hey.” He grinned at her. “Angie, you gotta try this, I mean there really is magic in the Magic Fingers.”

“Dean, what did I say about calling me Angie?” she asked. “And you’re enjoying that way too much, it’s kind of making us uncomfortable.”

“You told me not to call you Angie. Which I always ignore.” He replied. “And what am I supposed to do?” he asked. “I mean, you two have got me on lockdown here, I’m bored out of my skull.”

“Hey, you were the bank robber on the eleven o’clock news, not us,” Sam replied. “We can’t risk you just walking into a government facility.”

“Hmm.” Dean nodded.

Sam waved a dismissing hand at Dean as he turned to go to the bathroom. Angela just lied down on one of the beds as Dean’s shuttered to stillness.

“Aw, dammit!” he exclaimed. “That was my last quarter.” He mumbled. “Any of you got any quarters?” he asked. Dean pulled his headphones out and stood, crossing the room and leaning against the doorway to the bathroom where Sam was washing his face.

“No.” Angela and Sam replied at the same time.

“Stop doing that, it’s creepy,” Dean commented.

“Stop calling me Angie, it’s annoying.” Angela retorted.

Dean opened his mouth to say something but just looked at Sam. “So did you two get in to see that crazy hooker?”

“Yeah.” Sam nodded. “Gloria Stinick. And I’m not so sure she’s crazy.”

“But she seriously believes she was touched by an angel?” Dean asked skeptically.

“Yeah. Blinding light, feelings of spiritual ecstasy, the works.” Angela replied, standing up and walking over to them. “I mean, she’s living in a locked ward and she’s totally at peace.”

“Oh yeah, you’re right, that sounds completely sane,” Dean muttered. “What about the dude she stabbed?”

“Uh, Carl Gully,” Sam replied. “She said she killed him because he was evil.”

“Was he?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know. I mean, Angela and I couldn’t find any dirt on him.” Sam replied. “I mean, he didn’t have a criminal record, he worked over at the campus library, had lots of friends, he was a churchgoer.”

“Hm.” Dean nodded. “So then Gloria’s just your standard-issue whacko,” Dean said. “I mean, she wouldn’t be the first nutjob in history to kill in the name of religion, know what I mean?”

“No, but she’s the second in town to murder because an angel told them to,” Sam said. “Little odd, don’t you think?”

“Well, odd yes, supernatural maybe.” Angela shrugged. “But angels? I don’t think so.”

Sam frowned. “Why not?”

“Because there’s no such thing, Sam,” Dean replied as though it was obvious.

“Guys, there’s ten times as much lore about angels as there is about anything else we’ve ever hunted,” Sam argued.

“Yeah, you know what?” Dean asked. “There’s a ton of lore on unicorns too. In fact, I hear that they, they ride on silver moonbeams, and they shoot rainbows out of their ass.”

Sam sat down and looked up at Dean. “Wait, there’s no such thing as unicorns?” 

“That’s cute,” Dean replied sarcastically. “I’m just saying, man, there’s just some legends that you just, you file under ‘bullcrap’.”

“And you two have got angels on the bullcrap list?” Sam asked Angela and Dean.

“Yep.” Angela and Dean said.

“Why?” Sam asked.

“Because I’ve never seen one.” Dean shrugged.

“So what?” Sam asked.

“So, I believe in what I can see.”

“Dean! You, Angela, and I have seen things that most people couldn’t even dream about!”

“Exactly. With our own eyes.” Dean said. “That’s hard proof, okay? But in all this time I have never seen anything the looks like an angel. And don’t you think that if they existed that we would have crossed paths with them? Or at least know someone that crossed paths with them? No. This is a, a demon or a spirit, you know, they find people a few fries short of a happy mean, and they trick them into killing these randoms.”

“Maybe.” Sam sighed. “All right, Angela why don’t you believe in them?”

“I don’t see the point in believing in all that junk.” Angela murmured. “I think if angels existed the world would be a better place than it actually is.”

Dean sighed. “Can we just, I’m going stir-crazy guys. Hey, let’s go by Gloria’s apartment, huh?”

“We were just there,” Sam said. “Nothing. No sulfur, no EMF,”

“You didn’t see any fluffy white wing feathers?” Dean asked.

“But Gloria did say the angel gave her a sign, right beside Carl Gully’s doorway,” Angela said.

“Could be something at his house, worth checking out,” Dean replied eagerly.

~/~\~

Dean was driving as they pulled up in front of Carl Gully’s house. It was a moderate single-family home with steps that led up to the front door; to the left of the door was a plastic angel figure.

Dean mounted the steps and saw it. “Oh hey, guys. I think I found it. It’s a sign from up above.” Dean mocked. He just received an eye roll from Angela. He peered into the window. “Well, I think I learned a valuable lesson: Always take down your Christmas decorations after New Year’s, or you might get filleted by a hooker from God. Ha.”

“I’m laughing on the inside,” Sam said sarcastically.

Sam and Angela wandered around back, through a gate, and Dean followed; they found a wooden storm cellar.

“You know, Gloria said the guy was guilty to his deepest foundations,” Angela muttered.

Dean looked at her. “You think she literally meant the foundation?”

~/~\~

The three opened the creaking door and went down the steps, shining their flashlights.

“Hmm,” Dean said.

Sam noticed a scratch on a wall near the floor; he leaned over to get a closer look. “Hey, guys.”

“You got something?” Angela asked.

Sam dug at the wall and pulled something out.

“What is it?” Dean asked.

“It’s a fingernail,” Sam replied with a grimace.

Dean pulled three shovels from the wall and they began to dig.

~/~\~

Later, a deep pit had been completed to reveal a pile of skeletons.

“So much for the innocent churchgoing librarian,” Angela muttered.

“Yeah, well, whatever spoke to Gloria about this knew what it was talking about, I’ll give you that,” Dean said.

~/~\~

Dean sat on the edge of the bed with a police radio in hand, listening. He looked painfully bored.

 _“We’ve got a minor TA, involving a motorcycle and a, uh van, this is at the corner of 28 th and Pine, 28th and pine.”_ A woman said on the police radio.

As Sam and Angela entered, Dean sighed and looked back at the ‘Magic Fingers’ controller.

“Did you two bring quarters?”

Angela frowned at the controller. “We’re not enabling your sick habit.” She said, tossing him a sandwich. “You’re like one of those lab rats that pushes the pleasure button instead of the food button until it dies.”

“What are you talking about?” Dean asked. “I eat. And I got news.”

“Us too,” Sam replied.

“All right, you guys go first.”

“Three students have disappeared off the college campus in the last year,” Sam said. “All of them were last seen at the library.”

“Where Carl Gully worked,” Dean replied.

“Yep.” Angela nodded.

“Sick bastard.”

“So Gloria’s angel-

“Angel?” Dean asked.

“Okay. Whatever this thing is…” Sam muttered.

“Okay, well, whatever it is, it’s struck again,” Dean said.

“What?” Angela frowned.

“I was listening to the police radio before you two got here; there was this guy, uh, Zach Smith, some local drunk; he went up to a stranger’s front door last night, stabbed him in the heart,” Dean said.

“And then I’m guessing he went to the police and confessed?” Sam asked.

“Yep.” Dean nodded. “Roma Downey made him do it.” He said as hecrossed the room and took a Post-it off the mirror. “Now, I, uh… I got the victim’s address.”

~/~\~

The trio climbed over the fence and into the yard and snuck in through the window. Sam and Angela sat at the computer while Dean searched the house.

“Find anything?” Sam and Angela asked.

Dean looked at them and just sighed. “Well, Frank liked his catalog shopping, but that’s about all I got.”

“Not much here,” Sam replied. “Except he’s got this one locked file on his computer, I can’t… hold on.” He pressed a few buttons and grinned in triumph.

“Not anymore,” Angela replied as she looked back at the computer. “God.”

“What?” Dean asked.

“Well, he’s got all these emails,” Angela muttered. “Dozens, to this lady named Jennifer.” She added. “This lady who’s 13 years old.” 

“Oh, I don’t want to hear this.” Dean groaned.

“Looks like they met in a chat room,” Sam muttered. “These emails are pretty personal. Look at that. Setting up a time and place to meet.”

“They were supposed to meet today.” Angela murmured.

“Huh,” Dean said. “Well, I guess if you’re gonna stab someone, good timing. I don’t know, guys, this is weird, you know? I mean, sure some spirits are out for vengeance, but this one’s almost like a do-gooder, you know? Like a,”

“Avenging angel?” Sam raised a brow. Dean turned away and Angela just looked at Sam. “Well, how else do you explain it, guys? Three guys, not connected to each other, all stabbed through the heart? At least two were world-class pervs, and I bet if you dug deep enough on the other guy--

Dean picked something up. “Hey.”

“What?” Angela and Sam asked.

“You said Carl Gully was a churchgoer, right?”

“Yeah.” They both nodded.

“What was the name of his church?” Dean asked.

“Uh. Our Lady of the Angels?” Sam replied.

“Of course that’d be the name,” Dean mumbled. “Looks like Frank went to the same church.”

~/~\~

The three walked through the sanctuary of the church, speaking to a friendly-looking priest, Father Reynolds.

“So you’re interested in joining the parish?” Father Reynolds asked.

“Yeah, well, you know, we just don’t feel right unless we hit church every Sunday,” Dean replied.

“Where’d you say you lived before?” Father Reynolds raised a brow.

“Uh,” Sam started.

“Fremont, Texas.” Angela smiled.

“Yeah,” Sam said, and Dean nodded.

“Really?” the Father asked. “That’s a nice town. St. Teresa’s parish, you must know the priest there.”

“Sure, yeah, no it’s uh, Father O’Malley,” Dean replied.

“Hmm, I know a Father Shaughnessy.”

“Shaughnessy, exactly. What’d I say?” Dean asked.

“You know, we’re just happy to be here now, Father,” Sam said.

“And we’re happy to have you, we could use some young blood around here.”

“Hey, listen, I gotta ask, no offense, but uh, the neighborhood?” Dean questioned.

“Well, it’s gone to seed a little, there’s no denying that, but that’s why what the church does here is so important.” The Father said. “Like I always say, you can expect a miracle, but in the meantime work your butt off.”

“Huh. Yeah, we heard about the murders.” Angela said.

“Yes. The victims were parishioners of mine, I’d known them for years.”

“And the killers said that an angel made them do that?” Sam asked.

“Yes.” Father Reynolds nodded. “Misguided souls, to think that God’s messenger would appear and incite people to murder. It’s tragic.”

“So you don’t believe in those angel yarns?” Dean asked.

“Oh, no, I absolutely believe. Kind of goes with the job description.”

Sam nodded to a painting on the wall. “Father, that’s Michael, right?”

“That’s right.” He nodded. “The archangel Michael, with the flaming sword. The fighter of demons, holy force against evil.”

“So they’re not really the Hallmark card version that everybody thinks?” Sam asked. “They’re fierce, right? Vigilant?”

“Well, I like to think of them as more loving than wrathful; but yes, a lot of Scripture paints angels as God’s warriors.” Father Reynolds said. “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, the glory of the Lord shone down upon them, and they were terrified.”

Sam and Angela nodded while Dean just looked confused.

“Luke. 2:9.” Sam and Angela said.

~/~\~

“Well, thank you for speaking with us, Father,” Sam smiled politely.

“Oh, it’s my pleasure. Hope to see you again.”

Dean noticed a collection of tribute items at the bottom of the steps. “Hey, Father, what’s, what is all that for?”

“Oh, that’s for Father Gregory. He was a priest here.”

“Was?” Dean asked.

“He passed away right on these steps. He’s interred the church crypt.”

“When did this happen?” Dean raised a brow.

“Two months ago. He was shot for his car keys.”

“I’m sorry,” Angela apologized sincerely.

“Yeah, me too. He was a good friend. I didn’t even have time to administer his last rites. But like I said, it’s a tough neighborhood. Ever since he died I’ve been praying my heart out.”

“For what?” Sam asked.

“For deliverance, from the violence and the bloodshed around here. We could use a little divine intervention, I suppose.”

“Well, Padre, thanks,” Dean said. “We’ll see you again.”

Father Reynolds went back inside, leaving the three to investigate the shrine.

Dean looked at Angela. “Hey Angie, how’d you know that bible verse that the Father recited?”

She shrugged, ignoring the nickname. “I’ve read some of the bible. Out of curiosity.”

Dean nodded and looked at the shrine. “Well, it’s all starting to make sense. Devoted priest dies a violent death? That’s vengeful spirit material right there.” Dean said. Sam shifted uncomfortably. “And he knew all the other stiffs, because they went to church here, in fact, I’m willing to bet that because he was their priest, he knew things about them that nobody else knew.”

“Then again, Father Reynolds started praying for God’s help about two months ago, right?” Sam replied. “Right about the time all this started happening?”

“Aw, come on, man, what’s your deal?” Dean asked.

“What do you mean?” Sam frowned.

“Look, I’ll admit I’m a bit of a skeptic, but since when are you all Mr. 700 Club? No, seriously. From the get-go, you’ve been willing to buy this angel crap, man. I mean, what’s next, are you going to start praying every day?”

“I do,” Sam mumbled.

“What?” Dean muttered.

“I do pray every day. I have for a long time.” Sam said.

Dean was startled. “The things you learn about a guy. Huh. Come on you two, let’s go check out Father Gregory’s grave.”

~/~\~

The crypt was a maze of stone hallways, with numerous stone angel figurines. They wandered through slowly, Dean and Angela a little ahead of Sam. As Dean and Angela went into another room, Sam stopped to look back at one of the angels. He frowned at it, and then the entire room shook. A brilliant light appeared behind him and he turned, confusion washing away to a look of awe.


	10. Houses of the Holy Part 2

Dean and Angela hurried back into the room.

“Sam, come on, get the lead out,” Dean rushed.

They saw Sam in a dead faint on the floor and ran over.

“Sam!” Angela exclaimed.

“Sammy?” Dean asked. “Sammy! Hey!”

Sam jerked awake, groaning.

“You okay?” Dean asked.

Sam stared at the stone angel, stunned. “Yeah. Yeah. I’m okay.” 

“Come on,” Angela said as she helped Dean haul Sam to his feet, and guided him into the sanctuary, a hand on his arm; Dean shut the door behind them.

“You saw it, didn’t you? Didn’t you?” Dean asked.

“Yeah. Yeah.” Sam nodded. “Dean, Angela, I saw an angel.”

“You…” Dean muttered as Sam sat down and Dean pulled out a flask, unscrewed it, and handed it to Sam. “All right. Here.”

“I don’t want a drink,” Sam replied.

Dean shrugged and took a swig. He looked at Angela. “Want some?” 

She just shook her head, and then looked at Sam. “So. What makes you think you saw a, uh, angel?” 

“It just, it appeared before me and I just, this feeling washed over me, you know?” he replied. “Like, like peace. Like grace.”

“Okay, Ecstasy Boy, maybe we’ll get you some glow sticks and a nice Dr. Seuss hat, huh?” Dean mocked.

“Dean, I’m serious,” Sam said before he looked at Angela. “It spoke to me, it knew who I was.”

She sighed, and sat next to Sam. “Sam, it’s just a spirit.” 

Dean nodded. “She’s right. It’s just a spirit, Sam. Okay? And it’s not the first one to be able to read people’s minds.” He added as he sat down on another pew. “Okay, let me guess. You were personally chosen to smite some sinner, you’ve just got to wait for some divine bat signal, is that it?”

“Yeah, actually.” Sam nodded.

“Great. I don’t suppose you asked what this alleged bad guy did?” Dean asked.

“Actually, I did, guys,” Sam retorted. “And the angel told me. He hasn’t done anything. Yet. But he will.”

Dean stood and started pacing. “Oh, this is, this is… I don’t believe this.”

“Guys, the angel hasn’t been wrong yet!” Sam exclaimed. “Someone’s going to do something awful, and I can stop it!”

“You know, you and Angie are supposed to be bad too, maybe, maybe I should just stop you two right now.” Dean retorted.

Angela just sighed. “Sam, I just don’t think it’s an angel doing this…” 

“You know what, guys? I don’t understand!” Sam replied. “Why can’t you two even consider the possibility-

“What, that this is an angel?” Dean muttered.

“Yes!” Sam nodded. “Maybe we’re hunting an angel here, and we should stop! Maybe this is God’s will!”

“Okay, all right.” Dean nodded. “You know what? I get it. You’ve got faith. That’s, hey, good for you. I’m sure it makes things easier.” He said, sitting again. “I’ll tell you who else had faith like that, mom. She used to tell me when she tucked me in that angels were watching over us. In fact, that was the last thing she ever said to me.”

“You never told me that,” Sam whispered.

“Well, what’s there to tell?” Dean asked. “She was wrong. There was nothing protecting her. There’s no higher power, there’s no God. I mean, there’s just chaos, and violence, and random unpredictable evil that comes out of nowhere and rips you to shreds.” Dean said. “You want me to believe in this stuff? You want Angie to believe in this stuff? I think we’re going to need to see some hard proof. You got any?” he added. “Well, I do. Angie does. Proof that we’re dealing with a spirit.” 

~/~\~

Father Gregory’s tombstone was covered in creeping vines. The three hunters knelt before it.

“That looks like-

“It’s wormwood.” Dean nodded. “Plant associated with the dead; specifically the ones that are not at rest. I don’t see it growing anywhere else, except over the murdered priest’s marker. It’s him, guys.”

Angela nodded in agreement. “Has to be.”

“Maybe,” Sam muttered.

“Maybe?” Dean asked.

“Guys, I don’t know what to think.” Sam sighed.

“Okay,” Dean said. “You want some more proof? Angie and I will give you more proof.”

“How?” Sam frowned.

“We’ll summon Gregory’s spirit,” Dean informed.

“What? Here? In the church?”

“Yeah. Yeah, we just need a few odds and ends, and that séance ritual in Dad’s journal.” Dean nodded.

“Oh, a séance, great. Hope Whoopi’s available.” Sam muttered.

Dean deadpanned. “That’s funny, actually. Seriously. If Father Gregory’s spirit is around, a séance will bring him right to us. If it’s him, then we’ll put him to rest.”

“But if it’s an angel, it won’t show.” Sam nodded. “Nothing will happen.”

“Exactly,” Dean said. “That’s one of the perks of the job, Sam: we don’t have to operate on faith. We can know for sure.”

Angela smiled softly. “Don’t you wanna know for sure?”

~/~\~

The three left a small grocery store, and Sam held a paper sack. “Guys. I’ll admit we’ve gone pretty ghetto with spell work before, but this takes the cake. I mean, a Spongebob placemat instead of an altar cloth?”

“We’ll just put it Spongebob side down.” Dean shrugged.

Angela and Sam laughed, but then he stopped in shock, causing Angela to stop. He stared at something across the street: a young man holding a bunch of flowers; a bright light glowed behind him.

“Dean, Angie, that’s it.” Sam breathed.

“What?” Angela frowned.

“That’s the sign!” Sam said.

“Where?” Dean asked.

“Right there, right behind that guy! That’s him, guys. We have to stop him.”

~/~\~

The young man crossed the street; Sam started to go after him, but Dean and Angela stopped him.

“Wait a minute.” Dean tried to stop his brother.

“What are you guys doing? Let me go.” Sam demanded.

“You’re not going to go kill somebody because a ghost told you to, are you insane?” Dean asked.

“Guys, I’m not insane, I’m not going to kill him. I’m going to stop him.”

“Define ‘stop’, huh?” Angela murmured. “I mean, what are you going to do?”

“Angela, please, he’s going to hurt someone, you know it.” Sam whispered.

Dean sighed. “All right, come on.” 

The young man had gotten into a car and started it up, pulling away. Dean got in the driver’s side of the Impala and started it; Sam tried to open the passenger’s door while Angela stood aside, knowing what Dean was planning.

“Dean.” Sam sighed. “Unlock my door.” He begged before he turned to look at Angela. “Tell him to unlock my door.”

“You’re not killing anyone, Sam.” Dean replied. “I got this guy, you go do the séance with Angie.”

“Dean!” Sam yelled.

Dean pulled away, following the young man at a short distance. The man stopped at a corner and got out with a bunch of flowers, handing them to a woman waiting on the corner. They got in the car and drove off again.

~/~\~

Kneeling before Gregory’s grave, Sam and Angela had the spell material spread out: a circle of small white candles, a large black candle, the placemat Spongebob side down, and the journal. Angela lit the candles as Sam picked up the journal and started reading.

“Amate spiritus obscure te quaerimus, te oramus nobiscum colloquere aput nos circita.” Sam recited as he sprinkled some herb on the black candle and it flared one, brightly.

Father Reynolds entered. “What are you two doing? What is this?”

Angela frowned. “Uh, Father, please. We can explain. Um… actually, maybe we can’t. Um. This is a, a séance.”

“A séance?” he asked. “Young lady, you two are in the House of God.”

“It’s based on early Christian rites if that helps any.” Sam commented.

“Enough. You two are coming with me.”

“Father, please, you, just wait a second!” Angela said.

Father Reynolds pulled the two to the exit, a familiar bright glow building behind them. They turned, Father Reynolds in awe, Angela expressionless, and Sam in disappointment.

“Oh my god!” the Father exclaimed. “Is that, is that an angel?”

“No, it’s not.” Sam mumbled. “It’s just Father Gregory.”

The bright glow dimmed and coalesced to reveal a young, handsome priest, Father Gregory.

“Thomas?!” Father Reynolds exclaimed.

“I’ve come to answer your prayers.” Father Gregory replied.

~/~\~

Dean continued to follow the supposedly evil young man.

~/~\~

Sam approached the Gregory-spirit cautiously, while Angela just stood back.

“Sam.” Father Gregory said. “I thought I sent you on your path. You should hurry.”

“Father, I’m sorry.” Sam muttered. “But you’re not an angel.”

“Of course I am.”

“No.” Angela piped up. “You’re a man. You’re a spirit. And you need to rest.”

“I was a man.” Father Gregory said. “But now I’m an angel. I was on the steps of the church. And I felt that bullet pierce right through me. But there was no pain. And suddenly I could see… everything. Father Reynolds, I saw you, praying and crying here. I came to help you.”

“Help me how?” Father Reynolds asked.

~/~\~

The supposedly evil young man turned down a dark alley and Dean temporarily lost sight of him. He slammed the steering wheel in frustration.

“Damn it!” Dean cursed.

~/~\~

“Those murders, that was because of you?” Father Reynolds frowned.

“I received the Word of God. He spoke to me, told me to smite the wicked. I’m carrying out his will.”

“You’re driving innocent people to kill.”

“Those innocent people are being offered redemption. Some people need redemption. Don’t they Sam?” Father Gregory replied.

“How can you call this redemption?” Father Reynolds asked.

“You can’t understand it now. But the rules of man and the rules of God are two very different things.”

“Those people. They’re locked up.” Sam said.

“No, they’re happy.” Father Gregory said. “They’ve found peace, beaten their demons. And I’ve given them the keys to heaven.”

“No. No, this is vengeance, it’s wrong.” Father Reynolds said. “Thomas, this goes against everything you believe. You’re lost, misguided.”

“Father. No, I’m not misguided.”

“You are not an angel, Thomas.” Father Reynolds replied. “Men cannot be angels.”

“But… but I don’t understand. You prayed for me to come.”

“I prayed for God’s help. Not this. What you’re doing is not God’s will. ‘Thou shalt not kill’. That’s the word of God.”

~/~\~

The supposedly evil young man stopped the car; the young woman holding the flowers looked confused and smiled nervously.

“How come we stopped?” she asked.

The young man smiled back more nervously, his eye twitching. He leaned over and kissed her suddenly. She fended him off with a laugh.

“Um, weren’t we going to the movies? We should go, or we’re going to be late.” She cleared her throat.

The man hit her, hard, across the face, and she yelped in shock. “I’m sorry. It’s just, I’ve never done this before.”

She tried to get out of the car, but he’s locked the door and she scrabbled uselessly at the handle.

“I said I was sorry!” he yelled.

“Please!” She exclaimed as he pulled out a knife. “What?” 

He lunged at her with the knife and she tried to fight him off. 

“No. Stop it!” the man said.

The window shattered behind his head; Dean reached in, punched him, and slammed his face into the steering wheel. Dean unlocked the doors and the woman got out; he tumbled over the hood to reach her, grabbing her shoulders frantically.

“Are you okay? Are you okay?!” Dean asked.

The woman started crying. “Thank god!”

Behind them, the man stood and started the car, driving off.

“Damn it!” Dean cursed. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you have a cell phone?”

She nodded, still sobbing.

“Call 911!” Dean said before he ran off and got in his car to chase after the man again.

~/~\~

Father Gregory stared, bewildered, at his own headstone. He turned to face Reynolds, Angela, and Sam.

“Let us help you.” Angela whispered.

“No.”

“It’s time to rest, Thomas, to be at peace. Please, let me give you Last Rites.”

Father Gregory nodded in resignation; Father Reynolds lifted his hands in prayer. “Oh Holy Host, I call upon thee as a servant of Christ to sanctify our action this day, in fulfillment of the will of God.”

Reynolds gasped as Gregory flickered like a distorted image.

“Father Reynolds?” Gregory asked.

“Rest.”

Gregory kneeled; Reynolds held a hand over Gregory’s forehead.

“I call upon the archangel Gabriel, Master of the Air, to make open the way, let the fire of the Holy Spirit now descend; that this being might be awakened to the world beyond.”

Father Gregory did the bright holy glow again, then vanished. Reynolds lowered his hand in awe.

~/~\~

Chasing the man at a more frantic rate now, Dean gripped the steering wheel tightly. They cut across lanes, over grass, and generally caused mayhem; at a cross-street, a small pickup truck carrying long metal pipes screeched to a halt in front of the man’s car. A pipe spun off the truck bed, bouncing once more on the ground and plowing straight through his windshield. It impaled him right through the chest. Dean stopped the car in shock and got out.

“Holy…” Dean muttered.

~/~\~

“How was your day?” Dean asked.

“You two were right.” Sam replied. “It wasn’t an angel, it was Gregory.”

Dean pulled the flask from his inner pocket, took a drink, then, considering, offered it to Sam. Sam took it.

“I don’t know, guys, I just…” he said on the bed next to Angela. “I wanted to believe, so badly. It’s so damn hard to do this, what we do. Just the three of us, you know. There’s so much evil out there in the world, guys, I feel like I could drown in it. And when I think about my destiny,” he murmured and looked at Angela. “Our destiny… when I think about how we both could end up.”

Dean sat on the bed next to Sam. “Yeah, well, don’t worry about that. All right? I’m watching out for you. The both of you.”

“Yeah, I know you are,” Sam muttered. “But you’re just one person, Dean. And I needed to think that there was something else watching too, you know? Some higher power. Some greater good. And that maybe…”

“Maybe what?” Dean asked.

“Maybe we could be saved,” Angela whispered.

Sam nodded and laughed nervously. “Yeah, but uh, you know, that just clouded my judgment, and you two were right. I mean, we’ve gotta go with what we know, with what we can see, with what’s right there in front of our own two eyes.”

“Yeah, well, it’s funny you say that,” Dean muttered.

“Why?” Sam asked.

“Gregory’s spirit gave you some pretty good information. That guy in the car was bad news. I barely got there in time.”

“What happened?” Angela and Sam asked.

“He’s dead.”

“Did… you?” Sam asked.

“No. But I’ll tell you one thing. If… the way he died, if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes I never would have believed it. I mean, I don’t know what to call it.”

“What? Dean, what did you see?” Sam asked.

“Maybe… God’s will.”


	11. Born Under a Bad Sign Part 1

Dean was on his cell phone, leaning against his car while Angela stood across from him. Both were fidgeting, clearly upset.

“Ellen, it’s me again,” Dean started. “Any chance you’ve heard from him? I swear, it’s like looking for my dad all over again.” He added. “Angela and I are losing our minds here. No, we’ve called him a thousand times, there’s nothing but voicemail. We don’t know where he went, or why. Sam’s just gone. Hang on.”

The phone showed another incoming call from Sam and Dean quickly answered it.

“Sammy? Where the hell are you? Are you okay?” Dean asked. "Hey, hey, hey! Calm down. Where are you? All right, don’t move, Angie and I are on our way.”

~/~\~

Sam hung up the phone slowly, looking numb. His knuckles were bloody.

Dean and Angela drove to reach Sam, passing a sign that read TWIN LAKES; they arrived at the hotel, parked, and got out.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela walked frantically down a narrow hallway, checking door numbers until they reached room 109.

Dean knocked. “Sam, it’s us. Sam!” 

Angela tried the door, it was open. Inside, Sam hadn’t moved, still sitting numbly on one bed. “Sam?” She asked softly. “Hey.”

“Hey, Angela. Hey Dean.” He muttered.

They both knelt beside him.

“Are you bleeding?” Dean asked.

“I tried to wash it off,” Sam replied.

Dean saw Sam’s shirt covered in blood; he groped at it, searching for a wound. “Oh my god.”

“I don’t think it’s my blood,” Sam muttered.

“Whose is it?” Angela asked.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged.

“Sam, what the hell happened?” Dean frowned.

Sam finally looked up at them. “Guys. I don’t remember anything.”

~/~\~

Dean and Angela returned to the room, and Angela was carrying a grocery bag. Sam had changed clothes and looked a little less out of it.

“What’d you guys find out?” Sam asked.

“You checked in two days ago under the name Richard Sambora,” Angela answered.

“Of course, I think the scariest part about this whole thing is the fact that you’re a Bon Jovi fan,” Dean muttered.

“Dean.” Sam and Angela said seriously.

“Your room’s been quiet, nobody’s noticed anything unusual,” Dean said.

“You mean no one saw me walking around covered in blood?” Sam asked.

“Yeah. That’s what we mean.” Angela said.

“Then how the hell did I get here, guys? What happened to me?” Sam frowned.

“We don’t know.” Dean shrugged. “But you’re, you’re okay, and that’s what matters. Everything else we can deal with.”

“Oh really? Cause what if I hurt someone? Or worse?”

“Sam…” Angela murmured.

He just ignored her. “What if this what Dad warned you about?” 

“Hey, whoa, whoa, come on man, let’s not jump the gun here,” Dean said. “We don’t know what happened. We’ve just got to treat this like, like any other job.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Angela asked.

Sam sat down. “Just us three, just in that motel room in West Texas, going out to grab some burgers, and…”

“West Texas?” Dean asked. “That was, that was over a week ago.”

“That’s it.” Sam shrugged.

Dean and Angela looked stunned.

“Next thing I knew I was sitting here,” Sam whispered. “Bloody. Felt like I’d been asleep for a month.”

“Okay.” Dean nodded. “Retrace your steps. The manager said you left yesterday afternoon and he never saw you come back, so,” Dean said, pulling back the curtain, and finding a bloody fingerprint on the window. “Hey.”

~/~\~

The three walked outside the motel. It was daylight, but raining.

“Recognize anything?” Angela asked.

“Not really,” Sam mumbled. They went towards a parking garage out back. “Wait.”

“What?” Dean asked.

“I think I was here.”

“You remember?”

“Not really, it just feels familiar, you know?” Sam replied. Dean shrugged and went to the nearest garage. Sam looked over to the second and pointed. “Try that one. Yeah.”

Dean tugged on the padlock. “Okay.”

“Wait,” Sam said as he dug in his pocket, frowning. He pulled out a key and gave Dean and Angela a significant look.

Dean opened the padlock with the key, raising his eyebrows at Sam. He pulled the garage door open to reveal a filthy, beat-up VW Beetle.

“Oh, please tell me you didn’t steal this.”

Sam fidgeted. They went into the garage and opened both doors to the car, Sam and Angela on the driver’s side. He touched the wheel and showed Angela his stained finger.

“More blood.” He mumbled.

Dean pointed. “Guys. Back seat.”

Angela reached down, picking up a blood-stained knife that stuck to the floor of the backseat.

Sam just stared at it. “You think I used this one someone?”

Dean paused. “We’re not thinking anything.”

Sam looked around, took the knife from Angela, and rubbed the handle off on the inside of his jacket. Dean picked up a pack of cigarettes.

“Okay now, this is disturbing,” Dean said. “Come on, man, this couldn’t have been you. Had to have been someone else, someone who,” he added, sniffing the pack. “Smokes menthols.”

“Here. Gas receipt. Few towns over.” Angela said.

~/~\~

The three pulled up in front of a small gas station.

“All right. Receipt’s good for ten gallons at pump number two. You getting any, uh, any goosebumps yet?” Dean asked. “God, this looks familiar, déjà vu vibes?”

Sam shook his head quietly.

“Maybe someone inside will remember you,” Angela said. “Come on.”

They went into the convenience store; the clerk looked up in shock, then anger.

“You.” He glared. “Outta here, now, I’m calling the cops.”

“You talking to him?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, I’m talking to him.” The clerk nodded. “Jerk comes in yesterday, stinking drunk, grabs a forty from the fridge, starts chugging it.”

“This guy? You’re drinking malt liquor?” Dean asked.

“Not after he whipped the friggin’ bottle at my head.” The clerk replied.

“This guy?”

“What, am I speaking Urdu?”

“Look, I’m really sorry if I did anything,” Sam said sincerely.

“Tell your story walkin’, pal.” The clerk said. “Po-po will be here in five.”

“Wait, wait, put the phone down,” Dean replied. “Sam, go wait in the car. Angela, go with him.”

She nodded. “Alright.”

“But Dean,” Sam started.

“Go wait in the car!” he replied. Sam sighed and left with Angela. Dean turned back to the clerk. “Okay, look, man. I just want to talk to you, that’s it. Okay?”

The clerk hung up hesitantly.

“Now, when he took off yesterday, where did he go?” Dean asked.

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“Cause I’m asking you,” Dean scoffed. “Now please, you’d be doing me a huge favor.”

“Oh, do you a favor?” the clerk asked. “Well, that is what I live for. You know, your buddy didn’t pay for the booze. Okay? Or the smokes, which he also illegally lit up.”

“You saw him smoking?” Dean frowned.

“Yeah. Guy’s a chimney.”

Dean cleared his throat and pulled his wallet out, placing some bills on the desk. “This, uh, ought to cover it.”

“Hmm.” The clerk nodded. “It’s, uh, it’s coming back to me now. He took two packs.”

Dean pulled out more money. “Of course he did.”

“He went north.” The clerk said. “Route 71, straight out of town.”

Dean nodded, and grabbed two candy bars, leaving with a smirk.

~/~\~

Dean was driving down a dark road, Sam was staring out the window, and Angela sat silently in the backseat.

“What’s going on with you, Sam? Hm?” Dean asked. “Cause smoking, throwing bottles at people, I mean, that sounds more like me than you.”

“Dean, wait, right here,” Sam muttered. “Turn down that road.”

“What?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know how I know, I just do.” Sam shrugged.

Dean turned down a back road and onto private property. It was a large house with plenty of emergency lighting and security cameras.

“Whoever lives here, I’d say they don’t like surprises,” Sam said.

“Should we knock?” Angela asked.

“Yeah, I guess.” Sam nodded.

Dean knocked on the front door while Sam and Angela poked around the corner.

“Hey, Dean.” Sam and Angela called.

Sam waved his flashlight at a window; it was broken, the ledge covered in shattered glass.

“I’m surprised the cops didn’t show,” Dean muttered. “Place like this you’d think it’d have an alarm.”

Sam found a disabled alarm on the wall. “Yeah, you would.” 

~/~\~

They went into the house; the floor was covered in broken glass and scattered items. In a backroom, the came across a body on the floor.

“Get the lights,” Dean said.

Sam turned on the lights as Dean knelt behind the body. He placed a hand on it and turned it over; it was a middle-aged man with a deeply cut throat; he was dead, his eyes staring. Dean put a hand over his own mouth, Angela just went wide-eyed, and Sam looked horrified.

“Dean, Angela, I did this,” Sam muttered.

“We don’t know that,” Angela replied.

“What else do you need?” Sam sighed. “I mean, how else do you explain the car, the knife, the blood,”

“I don’t know, man, why don’t you tell me?” Dean asked. “Look, even if you did do this I’m sure you had a good reason; you know, self-defense, uh, he was, he was a bad son of a bitch, something.”

Angela patted down the body. “He doesn’t have any ID.”

Sam looked at her. “I need your lock pick.”

“What?” she frowned.

“I need your lock pick.” He repeated. Sam took the lock pick and opened a double door closet in the room. Inside the room, one wall was covered in firearms, the others in charts and clippings.

“Either this guy’s a Unabomber,” Dean started.

“Or a hunter,” Sam muttered. “Guys, I think I killed a hunter.”

Dean saw a security camera near the ceiling. “Let’s find out.”

~/~\~

Later, Sam was sitting in front of the desktop computer, Angela stood next to him, and Dean stood behind them. He cued up the security tape.

“Here we go,” Dean said.

On the tape, Sam was fighting the same man who lied dead on the floor behind them. The fight moved off camera and Sam dragged the man back into the frame; he kneeled, the man pulled up against his legs, and slit his throat. Sam and Angela stared in shock as Dean pulled back from the screen and stood straight.

~/~\~

Sam was sitting at the computer desk, staring at a page in his hand and Angela stood next to him. Dean bustled around behind them, cleaning up.

“How do you erase this? Huh?” Dean asked. “Guys, come on, I need your help.”

“I killed him, guys,” Sam whispered. “I just broke in and killed him.”

“Listen to me,” Dean replied. “Whoever this guy is, he’s a hunter. Which means that other hunters are going to come looking for his killer, which means we’ve got to cover our tracks, okay?”

Angela took the pages from Sam. “His name was Steve Wandell.” She said. “This is a letter from his daughter.”

Dean looked at the letter, then made a decision. He grabbed the CPU, lifted it above his head, and smashed it to the floor, stomping it with his boot for good measure.

“Wipe your prints, then we go.” Dean looked at them both.

~/~\~

The three proceeded into the motel room.

“All right, we get a couple of hours sleep and then we put this place in our review mirror,” Dean said. “Look, I know this is bad, okay? You’ve gotta snap out of it. Sam, say something!”

Sam looked at Angela and Dean. “Just get some sleep and leave in the morning?” he asked. “Murder, guys. That’s what I did.”

“Maybe,” Angela said.

Sam just scoffed.

“Okay? Hey, we don’t know… shapeshifter!” Dean suggested.

“Oh, come on. You know it wasn’t, you saw the tape.” Sam replied. “There was no eye flare, no distortion.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t you!” Dean retorted. “All right? I mean, yeah, it might have been you, but it wasn’t you.”

“Well, I think it was,” Sam muttered. He sat on the bed. “I think maybe more than you know.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Angela asked, sitting next to him.

“For the last few weeks, I’ve been having… I’ve been having these feelings.”

“What feelings?” Dean asked.

“Rage. Hate.” Sam muttered. “And I can’t stop it. It just gets worse. Day by day it gets worse.”

“You never told us this,” Angela said.

“I didn’t want to scare you guys.”

“Well, bag-up job on that,” Dean muttered.

“Guys, the yellow-eyed demon, you know he has plans for me,” Sam muttered.

“Us. He has plans for us.” Angela corrected.

Sam sighed and looked at her. “Fine. Us. And we all know that he’s turned other children into killers before, too.”

“No one can control you but you. Same goes for you, Angela.” Dean said.

“It sure doesn’t seem like that, Dean, at least for me. It feels like no matter what I do, slowly but surely I’m, I’m just becoming…”

“What?” Dean asked.

“Who I’m meant to be.” He sighed. “I mean, you said it once yourself, Dean. I gotta face up to who I am.”

“I didn’t mean this!” Dean replied.

“But it’s still true. You know that. Dad knew that too, that’s why he told you if it ever came to this…” Sam muttered.

“Shut up, Sam,” Dean whispered.

“Dean, you promised him. You promised me.” Sam replied.

“He also promised me,” Angela said. “Cause I’m in the same boat as you Sam.” 

Sam just frowned. “He what?”

“No. Listen to me. Both of you.” Dean said before Angela could explain. “We’re going to figure this out. Okay? I mean, there’s got to be a way, right?”

“Yeah, there is,” Sam said. Sam took his handgun from his duffel and shoved it at Dean. “I don’t want to hurt anyone else. I don’t want to hurt you or Angela.” He murmured. “And Angela, you’re not gonna turn…” he added.

“You don’t know that.” She retorted.

“You won’t. Neither of you will hurt anyone. Whatever this is, you can fight it.”

Sam was tearing up. “No. I can’t. Not forever. Here, you gotta do it. Just take care of Angie.” 

The three of them stared at each other for a long moment; then Sam grabbed Dean’s right hand and placed the gun in it. Dean didn’t move, he just stared in shock.

“You know, I’ve tried hard to keep you safe. Angela too.” Dean muttered.

Sam nodded. “I know.”

“I can’t. I’d rather die.” Dean said. He dropped the gun and shouldered past Sam.

“No. You’ll live,” Sam muttered. He picked up the gun as Dean turned to face him. “You’ll live to regret this.” He added. He pistol-whipped Dean, who fell to the floor unconscious.

Angela went wide-eyed. “Sam!” 

He turned to her and did the same. He then picked her up and slung her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing.


	12. Born Under a Bad Sign Part 2

An insistent knocking began during the blackout. Dean woke up to realize that he was on the floor of the motel room; the motel manager, who had been knocking, opened the door.

“Hey. It’s past your checkout.”

Dean got up, very groggy. “What?”

“It’s past checkout, and I’ve got a couple here needs your room.” The manager said.

Dean saw an embarrassed businessman with a hooker.

“Yeah, I’ll bet they do,” Dean mumbled. “What time is it?”

“Twelve-thirty.” The manager answered.

“The guy and woman who were with me, have you seen them?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, he left with her slung over his shoulder knocked out before dawn in your car, and you should have gone with them because now I’m gonna have to charge you extra.”

“Oh, son of a…” Dean muttered.

“It’s just policy, sir.”

“I need to use your computer,” Dean said.

“Now, why would I let you use my computer?”

~/~\~

The manager was counting a stack of cash, as Dean talked on the phone behind him, in front of a desktop computer.

“Hi, uh, so sorry to bother you, but uh, my son and his girlfriend snuck out of the house last night and, uh, went to a Justin Timberlake concert,” Dean said. “What?” he asked after a pause. “Yeah. No. Justin is quite the triple threat. Uh, anyway, they’re not back yet, and, and I’m just, I’m starting to worry.” He said. “Right. Yeah, kids will be kids. But see, Sammy and Angie are both diabetics, and uh, if they don’t get their insulin, I just, I have to find them. Please, I’m begging you. Yeah, no, no, no, I’m on the web site right now, I just need to activate the GDS in his phone.” He added. He entered the password. “Yeah, right there. Duluth, Minnesota. Yeah, that is a long way to go for a concert. I appreciate your help.”

~/~\~

Jo was scrubbing the bar and was saying goodnight to some customers. “Goodnight, thank you.”

Sam entered, along with Angela who was awake and sort of confused. Sam cleared his throat.

“Sorry, we’re closing up,” Jo replied, her back to them.

“How about just two for the road?” Sam asked.

Jo turned to face them. “Well, you’re about the last two I’d expect to see.” She smiled and looked at Angela. “You must be Angela, my mom’s told me about you. I’m Jo.”

“Nice to meet you,” Angela replied with a smile.

“Well, I guess we’re full of surprises,” Sam said. “So can we get a beer?”

“Sure.” Jo nodded. “Two beers.” She brought out two bottles and set them down on the bar firmly, then continued cleaning. “So how’d you find me?”

“Well, uh, it’s kind of what we do, you know?” Sam replied.

“Speaking of ‘we’, where’s Dean?” she asked.

“Couldn’t make it.” Sam shrugged.

Angela just frowned in confusion. Why would Sam bring her here without Dean?

“So what are you two doing here?” Jo asked before she looked at Angela. “The Winchesters and I didn’t exactly part on the best of terms.”

“Right.” Sam nodded. “Um, well, that’s why we’re here. I kind of, I wanted to see if we could square things, you know? And I wanted you to meet Angie of course.”

“I have told you not to call me that multiple times.” Angela smiled slightly. 

As Sam took off his jacket, both of the girls noticed a circular burn mark with a short line through it on Sam’s forearm.

“What’s that?” Angela frowned.

“That looks like it hurts,” Jo added.

Sam waved it off. “No. No, just, just had a run-in with a hot stove.” 

“So you were saying something about squaring things?” Jo asked.

“Yeah. Um. Look, I know how you feel about my dad.” Sam started. “And I can’t say I blame you. He was obsessed. Consumed with hunting, and he didn’t care who got caught in the cross-fire. And I guess that included your dad. But that was my father, that’s not me.”

“What about Dean?” Jo asked.

“Well, Dean’s more like my father than I am, but…” he said. “Boy,” Sam whispered. “You’re really carrying a torch for him, aren’t you?”

Jo scoffed uncomfortably.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He replied. “It’s too bad. Cause see, Dean, he likes you, sure, but not in the way you’d want. I mean, maybe as kind of a… a little sister, you know? But romance, that’s just out of the question, he,” he laughed. “He kind of thinks you’re a schoolgirl, you know? I’m not trying to hurt you, Jo, I-I’m telling you because I care.”

“Well, that’s real kind of you, Sam.” She replied.

“I mean it.” He whispered and placed a hand over hers on the bar, possessively. ”I care about you a lot.”

Angela frowned. This didn’t seem like Sam… She didn’t like the way he was talking to Jo, not out of jealousy, but out of…concern.

“Sam, what’s going on?” Jo asked.

“I can be more to you, Jo.” Sam murmured.

Jo frowned. “Well, uh, I think Angela might be more your type.” She teased lightly. "Maybe you should leave.”

Angela nodded. “I second that, come on Sam.”

“Okay.” He shrugged.

He shoved her hand away and stood to leave; Jo turned to face the bar, leaning on it heavily. Suddenly Sam reappeared, grabbing her from behind and started to manhandle her.

“Sam, get off me!” Jo yelled. “Sam, get off me! Sam!”

Angela glared. “Sam!” she yelled, trying to pry him off of her. He just turned and grabbed her, slamming her forehead into the bar, knocking her out.

Jo went wide-eyed and closed her right hand on a beer bottle, but before she could hit him with it he grabbed her wrist and slammed it onto the bar, shattering the bottle.

“Jo, Jo, Jo,” Sam whispered as he shoved her around until she faced the bar and pinned her there, left hand over her wrist, right hand stroking her hair.

“Sam, no, no!” she cried. “Please! Please!”

He slammed her forehead into the bar; she was knocked out, and he lifted her carefully to lie on the bar, stroking her hair in a disturbingly gentle manner.

“It didn’t have to be this way.” He whispered. “Or maybe it did.”

~/~\~

A clunky record player switched on and started playing The Doors ‘Crystal Ship’. Nearby, Sam was tying up Angela and Jo in a sitting position to a wide wooden post. They both slowly woke up.

“What the hell?” Angela mumbled groggily.

“What the hell is going on?” Jo asked. “What the hell are you doing?” she turned her head, trying to get a look at Sam, who was almost done tying them up.

“So what exactly did your mom tell you about how your dad died?” Sam asked.

Angela glared at him. “Don’t listen, Jo. He’s not Sam.”

He smirked at her. “Don’t be so sure about that Angie. Answer the question.”

Jo said nothing; Sam sighed heavily and went around to the other side to sit in front of her. He leaned in, his expression shifting to one of open concern. He pulled out a large knife and stroked her face with it.

“Come on. It’s me.” He whispered. “You can tell me anything, you know that. Answer. The question.”

“Fine,” Jo muttered.

“Fine,” Sam repeated.

“Our dads were in California: Devil’s Gate Reservoir. They were setting a trap for some kind of Hell spawn. John was hiding, waiting, and my dad was bait.” Jo replied.

Sam just laughed. “That’s just like John. Oh, I’ll bet he dangled Bill like meat on the hook.” He replied. “Then what?” he asked. He got up and went to stand behind her, and in front of Angela.

“The thing showed up. John got too eager, jumped out too soon, got my dad exposed out in the open. The thing turned around and killed him.”

Sam leaned in. “Hmm. Not quite.” 

“What?” she asked.

“Don’t listen to him Jo,” Angela said. 

“What?” he turned back to Jo. “Oh. See, it hurt him.” He shrugged. “It didn’t kill him. You really don’t know the truth, do you? I’ll bet your mom doesn’t know either.” He added. He sat facing her again, leaning in close.

“Know what?” Jo asked.

“You see, Bill was all clawed up. Holding his insides in his hands. He was gurgling and praying to see you and Ellen one more time.” He whispered. “So my dad… killed him. Put him out of his misery like a sick dog.”

“You’re lying,” Jo replied.

“I’m not, it’s true,” Sam said. “My daddy shot your daddy in the head.” He said in a quiet singsong.

“How could you know that?” Jo asked.

“I hear things.” He shrugged. He stood and stabbed the knife into the pillar, just above head level.

“Why are you doing this to me? To Angela?” Jo whispered.

“Like Daddy like daughter. You’re bait. Open up.” He replied. He shoved a knotted rag in her mouth and tied it around her neck. “That’s a girl. As for Angie, I just like having her around.” He smirked.

The door burst open and Dean entered, gun out. “Sam!” 

Sam grabbed the knife from the pillar, his calm expression shifting to one of desperate panic, and placed the knife at Jo’s throat. “I begged you to stop me, Dean.”

“Put the knife down, dammit,” Dean replied.

“I told you I can’t fight it! My head feels like it’s on fire, all right?! Dean. Kill me, or I’m going to kill them.” Sam said. “Please. You’d be doing me a favor! Shoot me.” He added, his arms spread. “Shoot me!”

“No, Sammy, come on,” Dean said. He turned away and lowered the gun.

“What the hell’s wrong with you, Dean?” Sam asked. “Are you that scared of being alone that you’d rather let Jo and Angie die?”

Dean turned suddenly, slinging water from a flask at Sam; the water hissed and steamed as it struck him.

“That’s holy water, you demonic son of a bitch!” Dean yelled.

Sam raised his head, his eyes black. Dean flung more holy water at him; Sam growled, turned, and ran, bursting through a window and fleeing. Dean took the knife and cut Jo and Angela free; Jo pulled the gag out of her mouth as Dean and Angela ran towards the shattered window.

“He was possessed?!” Jo asked.

Dean turned and stared at her for a moment, and Angela just gave a sad nod before leaping through the window.

“Dean! Angela!” Jo yelled.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela stalked Possessed-Sam through a dim, crowded warehouse, all three of them had a handgun. During the following the two never saw Sam directly, instead, they hid stealthily behind piles of boxes and shouted at Sam.

“So who are you?” Angela asked.

“I got lots of names.”

“You’ve been in Sam since he disappeared, haven’t you?” Dean asked.

“You should have seen your faces when you thought he murdered that guy. Pathetic.” Sam replied.

“Why didn’t you kill us? You had dozens of chances.” Angela said.

“No, that would have been too easy.” He replied. “Where’s the fun in that? See, this was a test. Wanted to see if I could push you two far enough to waste Sam. Should have known you two wouldn’t have the sac. Anyway. Fun’s over now.”

“Well, I hope you got your kicks,” Dean said. “Because you’re gonna pay hell for this, Angela and I will make sure of that.”

“How? You can’t hurt me. Not without hurting Sammy. See, I think you two are gonna die. You and every other hunter I can find. One look at Sam’s dewy, sensitive eyes? They’ll let me right in their door.”

He led Dean and Angela outside, to an open-air dock. Once they were out in the open, looking around, Sam stepped out, took aim, and shot both Dean and Angela. He shot Dean in the shoulder and Angela in the foot. Angela and Dean both fell into the water with a splash…

“Dean!” she yelled as she fell.

Sam stalked to the edge and peered over to where Dean and Angela fell; he smiled.

~/~\~

Jo was walking quickly through the docks, a flashlight in one hand and her cell phone in the other; she was calling Dean, and his voicemail picked up.

 _“This is Dean. Leave a message.”_ His voice said.

Jo hung up the phone with a sigh and continued searching. Moments later she called again, and this time she heard Dean’s ringtone coming from below her, by the water. She ran down to where both Angela and Dean were lying unconscious at the bottom of a ramp.

“Dean! Dean!” she yelled. “Angela!”

Dean woke up with a groan. “Take it easy.” He mumbled, shuddering in pain. “Where’s Sam?”

“I don’t know, I’ve been looking for you two.” She replied. “Come on, get up, and let’s get Angela to safety.

She helped him stand, and she picked up Angela as Dean leaned heavily on Jo. He clutched his shoulder as they walked to the bar.

~/~\~

Dean was seated at the table, and Angela was lying on top of the bar, unconscious and patched up. Dean gripped the table edge with his right hand as Jo dug the bullet out of his left shoulder. He groaned loudly.

“Don’t be a baby!” Jo said.

“God!” Dean replied.

“Almost. All right, got it. Got it.” She said. She dropped the bloodstained bullet into a glass of clear alcohol. Dean took a few healthy swigs from a bottle of whiskey.

“God, you’re a butcher,” Dean wined.

“You’re welcome,” Jo replied sarcastically.

“All right, are we done?” Dean asked.

“Would you give me two minutes to patch you up? You can’t help Sam if you’re bleeding to death.” Jo replied. She continued layering gauze and tape over the wound. “So, how did you know? That he was possessed?”

“Uh, I didn’t, I just knew that it couldn’t have been him.” 

“Hey, Dean,” Jo said.

“Yeah?”

“I know demons lie, but do they ever tell the truth too?”

“Uh, um, yeah, sometimes, I guess.” He nodded. “Especially if they know it’ll mess with your head. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing.” She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. So do you have any idea where he’s headed to next?”

“Well, so far he’s been going after the nearest hunter, so… closest one I know lives in South Dakota.”

“Okay good, I’m done. Let’s get Angela and go.”

“Yeah. You’re not coming.”

“The hell I’m not. I’m part of this now.” Jo retorted.

“I can’t say it plainer than this. You try to follow me and I’ll tie you right back to that post and leave you here.” He said. “This is my fight, and even Angie’s fight. I’m not getting your blood on my hands. That’s just how it’s gonna be.” He shrugged. He went to the bar and picked Angela up carefully.

“Wait,” Jo said. He turned back and she shoved a prescription pill bottle into his coat pocket. “Here. Take these, they’ll help you and Angela with the pain when she wakes up.”

“Thanks. I’ll call you later, okay?” he replied. He handed her a slip of paper. “And here’s Angie’s number if you need it.”

She pocketed it and sighed. “No, you won’t."

~/~\~

It was raining as Dean drove down a dark stretch of road, Angela in the passenger’s seat. He dialed a number into his cell.

Elsewhere, a phone rang several times, until Sam cut the phone line that ran outside the house.

Dean looked at the phone and sighed. “Dammit.”

Suddenly, Angela started to stir. “Dean?” she groaned, blinking.

He smiled slightly. “Hey there kiddo, glad to see you awake again.”

She gave a weak smile in return.

~/~\~

Sam walked slowly up the steps to the house and knocked on the door. It opened reveal Bobby, grinning. “Sam!”

“Hey, Bobby,” Sam said.

“It’s been a while,” Bobby replied. Sam just grinned sheepishly. “Well, come on in.”

Sam entered slowly, glancing at the ceiling, and Bobby shut the door behind him. They walked together into Bobby’s study, which was dimly lit and covered wall to wall with stacks of books and papers.

“So what brings you?” Bobby asked.

“Working a job nearby, and thought I’d stop in and say hey.”

“Well, where’s Dean? And that girl he told me about? Angela was her name?”

Sam laughed. “He’s probably holed up somewhere with a girl and a twelve pack. Angela’s probably at a local library or something.”

Bobby went into the back room; Sam left alone, his eyes on the ceiling again. “Oh yeah? She pretty?” he asked. “And what about that Angie girl, do you like her?”

His eyes clouded over black for a moment. “You ask me, he’s in way over his head.” Sam shrugged. “And sure, she’s nice and everything. She’s definitely a pistol.”

Bobby returned with a beer in each hand, and he handed one to Sam. “Well, it’s good to see you. To John.”

“To Dad.” Sam nodded.

They toasted and dipped the beer, Sam turning to look up at the ceiling again. As he swallowed the alcohol he choked suddenly, falling to his hands and knees and hiss-coughing painfully. Bobby sipped his drink, unconcerned.

“What’d you do?!” Sam glared.

“A little holy water in the beer.” Bobby shrugged. “Sam never would have noticed. But then, you’re not Sam are you. Don’t try to con a con man.” He said. He slammed his fist into Sam’s face, knocking him out.

~/~\~

Later, Sam-demon was tied to a chair, before a fire, and under the devil’s trap. Dean smacked him in the face to wake him.

“Hey,” Dean said.

Sam looked up and saw the painted devil’s trap. “Dean and Angela. Back from the dead. Getting to be a regular thing for you two, isn’t it? Like two cockroaches.”

“How about I smack that smartass right out of your mouth?” Angela glared.

“Oh, careful, now Angie. Wouldn’t want to bruise this fine packaging.” Sam smirked.

She kept glaring. “Don’t call me Angie.” She muttered. “And don’t worry, this isn’t gonna hurt Sam much.” She said, turning to pick up a bucket. “You, on the other hand,” she added. She tossed a bucketful of holy water on Sam-demon, who sizzled and screamed.

“Feel like talking now?” Dean asked.

“Sam’s still my meat puppet. I’ll make him bite off his tongue.”

“No, you won’t be in him long enough. Bobby.” Dean said.

“Exorci samus te, omnes in mundus spiritus omnes satanica potestas, omnes incursion…” Bobby recited in Latin.

“See, whatever bitch-boy master plan you demons are cooking up?” Dean started talking over Bobby. “You’re not getting Sam. Or Angie. You understand me? Because I’m gonna kill every one of you first.”

Sam-demon struggled painfully, then threw his head back and cackled. Bobby cut off in surprise.

“You really think that’s what this is about? The master plan?” he asked. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about the master plan.”

“Humiliares sub potente magnu dei…” Bobby started again.

“Oops,” Sam smirked. “Doesn’t seem to be working. See, I learned a few new tricks.” He added. He lowered his head and began growling in Latin. “Spiritus in mundus un glorum suarum umitite palatum iram domine…”

The fire behind him flared and the room shook as he continued.

“This isn’t going like we pictured! What’s going on Bobby?” Dean yelled.

Bobby saw the burn mark on Sam’s forearm. “It’s a binding link! It’s like a lock! He’s locked himself inside of Sam’s body!”

“What the hell do we do?” Angela asked.

“I don’t know!” Bobby replied.

Sam threw his head back and screamed; the shaking walls and ceilings began to crack, breaking the protective circle. Sam-demon’s eyes were black as he lowered his head. “There. That’s better.”

He jerked his head left; Bobby went flying. He jerked his head right; Dean and Angela went flying, landing heavily against the far wall. The holy water flask fell from Dean’s hand. Sam ripped free of the restraints and stalked over to Dean and Angela.

“You know when people want to describe the worst possible thing? They say it’s like hell.” Sam said.

He knelt in front of Dean and Angela, fisting his left hand in Dean’s shirt and clocking him hard with a right jab. Dean grabbed onto Sam’s shirt with his right hand.

“You know there’s a reason for that. Hell is like, um,” he muttered, hitting Dean again. “Well, it’s like hell. Even for demons.” He hit Dean a third time. “It’s a prison, made of bone and flesh and blood and fear;” he hit him a fourth time, then grabbed Dean’s head, holding it steady. “And you sent me back there.”

Dean sneered. “Meg.”

“No. Not anymore. Now I’m Sam.” He replied, hitting him one last time. He dug his right thumb into Dean’s bullet wound. “By the way. I saw your dad there, he says ‘howdy’.” He dug in further; Dean tried to pull Sam’s hand away, groaning in pain. “All that I had to hold onto was that I would climb out one day and that I was going to torture you, nice and slow.” He whispered. He smirked. “Now I can torture his little girlfriend too. Like pulling the wings off of insects.”

He shoved Dean’s grasping hand away. “But whatever I do to you, or Angie, it’s nothing compared to what you’ll do to yourself, id it? I can see it in your eyes, Dean. You’re worthless. You couldn’t save your dad, and deep down you know that you can’t save your brother and Angela. They’d have been better off without you.”

Sam reared back to hit Dean again; and suddenly Angela managed to shove him towards Bobby, who pressed a hot poker into the mark on Sam’s arm; he screamed in pain, then again as the demon smoke billowed out of him and up the chimney. Sam fell back, scrabbling and looked around in confusion, then grabbed his arm in sudden pain. Angela stood and helped Dean up.

“Sam?” Angela murmured.

“Sammy?” Dean asked.

“Did I miss anything?” Sam mumbled.

Dean reared back and right-hooked Sam in the cheek, then rolled his eyes, and Sam collapsed, Angela catching him. Sam grabbed his cheek in confusion.

~/~\~

Sam was sitting behind Bobby’s table with an icepack on his arm, Angela sat next to him, and Dean was on the other side of the table groggily holding an ice bag to his face.

“By the way, you two really look like crap,” Sam said cautiously

Angela looked at him. “What else did you expect?”

Dean nodded in agreement. “Yeah, tight back atcha.” 

Bobby walked in slowly, looking concerned.

“What is it, Bobby?” Sam asked.

“You three ever hear of a hunter named Steve Wandell?”

“Why do you ask?” Angela frowned.

“Just heard from a friend. Wandell’s dead. Murdered in his own house. You wouldn’t know anything about that.”

“No sir, never heard of the guy,” Dean replied.

“Dean,” Sam said.

“Good. Keep it that way. Wandell’s buddies are looking for someone or something to string up, and they’re not going to slow down to listen to reason. You understand what I’m saying?”

“We’d better hit the road,” Dean said. “If, uh, you can remember where we parked the car.”

“Here. Take these.” Bobby said. He handed them each a small metal charm.

“What are they?” Sam asked.

“Charms. They’ll fend off possession. That demon’s still out there; this’ll stop it from getting back up in you.”

“That sounds vaguely dirty, but uh, thanks.” Dean nodded.

“You’re welcome. You three be careful now.”

“You too,” Sam said.

“Nice meeting you Bobby, wish we met under better circumstances though.” Angela smiled

He smiled. “See ya around Angie.”

At the door, Dean tossed the ice bag back to Bobby.

~/~\~

Dean was driving down a dark stretch of highway. Sam was frowning, and Angela leaned over from the backseat, concerned.

“You okay? Sam? Is that you in there?” she asked.

“I was awake for some of it, guys.” He whispered. “I watched myself kill Wandell with my own two hands; I saw the light go out in his eyes.”

“That must have been awful,” Dean replied.

“That’s not my point. I almost carved up Jo. And you too Angie. But no matter what I did, you both wouldn’t shoot.”

“It was the right move, Sam, it wasn’t you,” Angela replied.

“Yeah, this time. What about next time?” Sam argued.

“Sam, when Dad told me that I might have to kill you, it was only if I couldn’t save you. Now, if it’s the last thing I do I’m going to save you.”

“Same here.” Angela nodded.

After a pause, Dean laughed softly.

“What?” Angela and Sam asked.

“Nothing.”

“Dean, what?” Sam frowned.

“Dude, you, you like, full-on had a girl inside you for like a whole week.” Dean laughed. “That’s pretty naughty.”

Sam’s frown cracked, and Angela and Sam laughed along with Dean.


	13. Tall Tales Part 1

Sam and Angela were sitting on the couch looking through various books. Sam rubbed his face tiredly, and Angela just ran a hand through her hair. Dean was sitting up on the bed behind them, listening to the radio and eating something messy from a disposable plate.

“Dude,” Sam said, in annoyance. “You mind not eating those on my bed?”

“No, I don’t mind,” Dean replied as he ate another. “How’s research going?”

“You know how it’s going?” Sam replied. “Slow. You know how it would go a heck of a lot faster? If I had my computer.”

Dean nodded sarcastically. “Hmm.”

Angela just sighed. She was getting rather annoyed, both of the boys had been going at it like this for a week.

“Can you turn that down please?” Sam asked Dean.

“Yeah, absolutely.” He nodded, turning the music up louder.

“You know what? Maybe, uh, maybe you should just go somewhere for a while.” Sam suggested.

Dean shut off the radio and looked up, snappish. “Hey, I’d love to. That’s a great idea. Unfortunately, my car’s all screwed to hell.”

“Dean, I told you, I have nothing to do with-

Sam was cut off by a loud knock on the door. Angela stood and went to the door; she looked through the peephole and then back at the boys, then opened the door. 

“Oh Bobby, thank god you’re here.” Angela breathed. “I’m about to go freaking insane.”

“Hey, Bobby,” Sam said, walking over.

Bobby entered with his hands in his pockets. “Boys. Angie.”

Dean stood and approached. “Hey, Bobby.”

“It’s good to see you again so soon,” Bobby said.

“Yeah, thanks for coming.” Angela smiled. “Come on in.”

Dean shook Bobby’s hand firmly. “Thank god you’re here.”

“So um, what didn’t you want to talk to me on the phone about?” Bobby asked. “And Angie told me your fighting was driving her crazy.”

Sam sighed. “It’s this job we’re working. We weren’t sure you’d believe us.”

“Well, I can believe a lot,” Bobby replied.

“Yeah, no, no, it’s just, we’ve never seen anything like it,” Angela said.

“Not even close-

“And we thought we could use some fresh eyes,” Sam interrupted Dean.

“Well, why don’t you begin at the beginning?” Bobby asked.

“Yeah, um, all right.” Sam nodded. He gestured to sit on the bed; Bobby picked up the empty takeout tray and peered at it, set it aside, and sat down.

“So, it all started when we caught wind of an obit,” Angela started. “See, a professor took a nosedive from a fourth story window, only there’s a campus legend that the building’s haunted. So we pretexted as reporters from the local paper.”

~/~\~

_Sam and Angela sat at a table with a cocky jock boy, Curtis and a dippy attractive girl, Jen. Angela set a voice recorder down on the table._

_“Yeah, we both at the professor for Ethics and Morality,” Curtis said._

_“Yeah? So why do you think he did it?” Angela asked._

_“Who knows? I mean, he was tenured, wife and kids.” Jen replied. “His book is like a really big deal. Then again…” she said, leaning in conspiratorially. “Who’s to say it was a suicide?”_

_Curtis scoffed. “Jen, come on.”_

_“Well, what else could it be?” Sam asked, feigning surprise._

_“Well, you know about Crawford Hall?” Jen asked._

_“No, we don’t, actually,” Sam replied._

_“It’s a bunch of crap, it’s a total urban legend,” Curtis said._

_“Yeah well, Heather’s mom went to school here, and she knew the girl?” Jen replied._

_“Wait, what girl?” Sam and Angela asked._

_Jen eyed them slightly. “Thirty years ago, this girl was having an affair with some professor. He broke it off, she jumped out the window and killed herself.”_

_“You know her name?” Sam asked._

_“No. But they say she jumped from room six-six-nine. Get it?” Jen replied. “You turn the nine upside down?”_

_Sam and Angela nodded, and Curtis laughed._

_“So now she haunts the building.” Jen continued. “And anyone who sees her? They don’t live to tell the tale.”_

_“Well if no one lives to tell the tale then how does the tale get told?” Curtis asked._

_“Curtis! Shut up!” Jen said._

_“You know what? Uh, thanks a lot guys. Excuse us.” Angela said._

_Elsewhere in the bar, Dean took one of the three shot glasses on the table. The glasses were filled with a dark bluish-purple liquid. He slammed all three in succession as Sam and Angela approached._

_“Dean. Dean, what are you drinking?” Angela asked._

_Dean burped. “I don’t know, guys, I think they’re called purple nurples?”_

_“Okay, well listen,” Sam replied. “Angela and I think maybe we should go check out the professor’s office.”_

_“Oh, no, no, no, I can’t right now, I’ve got some… feisty little wildcat on the hook, I’m about to –zzzzp- reel her in,” Dean replied. “I’ll introduce you.” He added. “Starla!” Dean called to a drunk, sloppy girl in fishnet stockings and a tight miniskirt, who was also heavily made up. “Starla, hey. This is my shuttle co-pilot Major Tom, and a close friend of ours, Kim. Major Tom and Kim, Starla.”_

_She draped an arm around Dean. “Enchante.”_

_“Hi.” Sam and Angela frowned._

_Starla gagged and covered her mouth. She looked up, grinning. “Sorry. Just trying to keep my liquor down!”_

_“Yeah! Good job.” Dean grinned. Dean looked at Sam. “Hey. Good news. She’s got a sister.” He said as he leaned back into Starla’s arm again, both of them grinning suggestively._

~/~\~

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Dean cut in. “Hold on a minute.”

“Oh God, not again,” Angela mumbled.

“What?” Sam asked Dean.

“Come on, dude, that’s not how it happened.” Dean defended.

“No? So you never drank a purple nurple?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, maybe that, but I don’t say things like ‘feisty little wildcat’,” Dean replied. “And her name wasn’t Starla.”

“Then what was it?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged before he turned to Bobby, picking up the story. “But she was a classy chick. She was a grad student, anthropology and folklore. We were talking about local ghost stories.”

~/~\~

_Dean was with the same girl, but this time she was in black heels and a sleek black cocktail dress. She and Dean each held a purple nurple and toasted with them._

_“Here’s to…” she started._

_“Here’s to us.” Dean smiled._

_“My god.” She whispered. “You… are attractive.”_

_“Thanks.” He replied. “But no time for that now. You need to tell me about this urban legend. Please. Lives are at stake.”_

_“Sorry, I just… can’t even concentrate. It’s like staring… into the sun,” she whispered. She reached up and pulled his head towards her for a slow kiss._

_Sam and Angela approached behind them, Sam having on his ‘bitchface’ expression. He had his jacket slung over his shoulder._

_“Dean!” he said in an exaggerated prissy tone. “What do you think you’re doing?”_

_“What he means to say is that we gotta go…” Angela muttered._

_“Sam, Angela, please.” He said in a smooth and casual tone. “If you two wouldn’t mind, give me five minutes here.”_

_“Dean, this is a very serious investigation,” Sam replied. “We don’t have any time for any of your blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah!”_

_Dean leaned in to kiss the girl again as Sam continued blabidiblahing behind him. Angela just sighed._

_“Blah!” Sam exclaimed._

~/~\~

“Right,” Sam replied sarcastically. “And that’s how it really happened.” He said while Dean just shrugged. “I don’t sound like that, Dean!”

“That’s what you sound like to me.”

Angela just rolled her eyes, and looked at them. “Will you two stop bickering for two seconds?”

Bobby stared at the boys. “She’s right. What’s going on with you two?”

“Nothing. Noth-it’s nothing.” Sam sighed.

“No, come on. You’re bickering like an old married couple.”

“And I’m sick of dealing with it,” Angela added.

Dean got up and crossed to the kitchenette. “No, see married couples can get divorced. We’re like, uh, Siamese twins.”

“It’s conjoined twins!” Sam replied as if it was something he’s said many times before.

“See what I mean?” Dean asked.

“Look, it,” Sam sighed. “We’ve just been on the road for too long. Tight quarters, all that. Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay. But I think if that was the case Angie would be irritable too”

“So anyway. We figured it might be a haunting, so we went to check out the scene of the crime.” Angela said.

~/~\~

_The janitor let the three hunters, posing as electricians into the professor’s office._

_“So, how long have you been working here?” Angela asked._

_“I’ve been mopping this floor for six years. There you go, guys.” He replied. He saw Sam’s EMF reader. “What the heck’s that for?”_

_“Just find a wire in the walls,” Sam replied._

_“Huh. Wow. Not sure why you’re wiring up this office.” The janitor said. “Not gonna do the professor much good.”_

_“Why’s that?” Dean asked._

_“He’s dead.” The janitor replied bluntly._

_“Oh.” Dean nodded. “What happened?”_

_“He went out that window. Right there.”_

_“Yeah?” Angela replied. “Were you working that night?”_

_“I’m the one who found him.” The janitor said._

_“You see it happen?” Sam asked._

_Dean saw a bowl of nuts on the side table and ate one._

_“No. I just saw him come up here, and uh, well.”_

_“What?” Angela asked._

_“He wasn’t alone.”_

_Dean came back, his cheeks stuffed with nuts. He was holding the bowl, and continued eating them._

_“Who was he with?” Dean asked, his mouth full. He resembled a chipmunk with the nuts stuffed in his cheeks._

~/~\~

“Come on!” Dean yelled, interrupting Sam. “I ate one, _maybe_ two!”

“Just let me tell it, okay?” Sam replied.

Angela sighed. “Great idea Sam.”

~/~\~

_“He was with a young lady.” The janitor said. “I told the cops about her, but uh, I guess they never found her.”_

_“You saw this girl go in, huh?” Angela asked. “Did you ever see her come out?”_

_“Now that you mention it, no.”_

_“You ever see her before, around?” Sam asked._

_“Well, not her.”_

_“What do you mean?” Dean asked, his mouth still full. Sam glared at him._

_“I don’t mean to cast aspersions on a dead guy, but uh… Mister Morality? He brought a lot of girls up here. Got more ass than a toilet seat.”_

_Dean laughed delightedly; Sam glared, Angela sighed, and the janitor grinned._

_“One more thing,” Angela said. “This building, it only has four stories, right?”_

_“Yeah.” The janitor nodded._

_“So there wouldn’t be a room six-six-nine?” Angela asked._

_“Course not. Why do you ask?”_

_“Aw, just curious.” She said. “Thanks.”_

~/~\~

_They returned to the hotel and Sam and Angela sat at the table. Dean got a beer out the fridge for each of them._

_“Well, no traces of EMF, that’s for sure,” Sam said._

_“And the room six-six-nine’s a load of crap,” Angela added._

_“So what do you think?” Sam asked. “The professor’s just a jumper? A legend’s just a legend?”_

_“I don’t know.” Dean shrugged. “I mean, the uh, girl the janitor described, that’s pretty weird.”_

_“Yeah.” Sam and Angela agreed._

_“We oughta check out the history of the building. See if any co-ed ganked herself there.” Dean said._

_“Yeah, you’re right.” Sam nodded. He opened up the laptop, then stared at the screen, confused. “Dude. Were you on my computer?”_

_“No,” Dean said. “Could’ve been Angie.”_

_She rolled her eyes. “Oh please.”_

_“Oh really?” Sam asked Dean. “Cause it’s frozen now. On uh, Bustasianbeauties.com.” Sam replied. “That doesn’t sound like Angie.”_

_Dean frowned, winced, and retreated._

_“Dean! Would you, just, don’t touch my stuff anymore, okay?”_

_“Why don’t you control your O.C.D.?” Dean replied._

~/~\~

“But did you dig up anything about the building? Or on the suicidal co-ed?” Bobby asked.

“No. History’s clean,” Angela said.

“Then it’s not a haunting,” Bobby replied.

“Maybe not. Tell you the truth, we’re not really sure.” Dean commented.

“What do you mean, you’re not sure?” Bobby frowned.

“Well, it’s weird,” Sam said.

“What’s weird?”

“This next part, we uh, we didn’t see it ourselves exactly, but it’s pretty friggin’ weird. Even for us.” Dean said.

~/~\~

“Aliens?” Bobby asked.

“Yeah.” Dean nodded.

“Aliens?” he repeated.

“Yeah,” Dean replied.

“Look, even if they are real, they’re sure as hell not coming to earth and swiping people.”

“Believe me,” Angela said. “We know.”

“My whole life I’ve never found evidence of an honest-to-God abduction,” Bobby said. “It’s all just cranks and pranks.”

“Yeah, that’s what we thought.” Sam nodded. “But… we figured we’d at least talk to the guy.”

~/~\~

_Dean was seated next to Curtis, who had three full shot glasses lined up in front of him. Sam and Angela stood nearby as Curtis took a shot._

_“Hey, you ought to give those purple nurples a shot,” Dean said._

_“So what happened, Curtis?” Angela asked._

_“You won’t believe me.” He mumbled. “Nobody does.”_

_“Give us a chance,” Sam said._

_“I do not want this in the papers.” He warned._

_“Off the record, then,” Dean replied._

_“I, uh… I blacked out, and… I lost time, and when I woke up, I don’t know where I was.”_

_Sam and Angela sat down. “Then what?” they asked._

_Curtis eyed them. “They did tests on me. And, uh…” he took another shot. “They, uh… they probed me.”_

_Sam turned his face away, struggling not to laugh. Angela kicked him lightly, signaling him to calm down._

_“They probed you?” Dean asked._

_“Yeah, they probed me. Again and a—Again and, and again.” Curtis took another shot. “And again and again and again… and then one more time.”_

_“Yikes,” Dean said._

_“And that’s not even the worst of it.”_

_“How could it get any worse?” Dean scoffed. “Some alien made you his bitch.” He smirked._

_“They… they made me… slow dance!” Curtis exclaimed._

_The three hunters just blinked, confused._

~/~\~

“You guys are exaggerating again, huh?” Bobby cut in.

“No, no,” Sam replied.

“Then this frat boy’s just nuts.”

“We’re not so sure,” Dean sighed heavily.

~/~\~

_The three were standing over a large, perfectly round scorch mark in the ground._

_“I’m telling you, Dean, this was made by some kind of jet engine,” Angela said._

_“You mean some saucer-shaped jet engine?” Dean asked._

_“What else could it be?” Sam asked._

_“What the hell?” Dean asked._

_“I don’t know,” Sam shrugged._

_“Seriously, guys, what the hell?”_

_“I don’t know,” Angela said._

_“I mean, first the haunting. Now this?” Sam muttered. “The timing alone, there’s got to be some kind of connection.”_

_“You mean between the angry spirit and the sexed-up E.T.?” Dean asked. “What could the connection possibly be?”_

~/~\~

“But what could we do?” Dean asked Bobby, shrugged. “So we just kept on digging.”

~/~\~

_Sam, Angela, and Dean were talking with another college student._

_“So, you and this guy, Curtis, you were in the same house?” Angela asked._

_“Yeah.” The student nodded._

_“You heard what happened to him, right?” Dean asked._

_“Yeah, he says it was aliens, but you know, whatever.”_

_“Look, man, I, I know this all has to be so hard,” Sam said with exaggerated concern._

_“Um, not so much.” The student replied, eyeing Sam._

_“But I want you to know… I’m here for you. You brave little soldier. I acknowledge your pain.” Sam said. “Come here.” He added, grabbing him in a hug. “You’re too precious for this world.”_

~/~\~

“I never said that!” Sam said.

“You’re always saying pansy stuff like that.” Dean shrugged.

“Just get on with the story, boys,” Angela said.

~/~\~

_“Well, um… Yeah, uh, thanks.” The student said. Sam released him. “Thanks for the hug, but, uh, I’m okay. Really.” He added. “To tell you the truth, whatever happened to Curtis, he had it coming.”_

_“Why is that?” Dean asked._

_“He’s our pledge master. Put us through hell this semester, and got off on it. So now he knows how we feel.”_

_Angela looked up at Sam. “It’s okay.”_

~/~\~

_The three hunters returned to their hotel room._

_“Still doesn’t make a lick of sense,” Dean said. “But, hey, at least there’s one connection.”_

_“Between what?” Angela asked._

_“The victims. The professor and the frat guy, they’re both dicks.”_

_“That’s a connection?” Sam asked._

_“You got anything better to go on, I’d love to hear it,” Dean said._

_Sam looked in his bag. “Where’s my laptop?”_

_“I don’t know.” Dean shrugged as Sam continued searching, getting frustrated. “Think about it. A philandering professor gets a dead girl. A pledge master gets hazed.”_

_“I left it in here,” Sam muttered._

_“You obviously didn’t,” Dean said. “I mean, these punishments, they’re almost poetic. Actually, it’d be more like a limerick, but still,”_

_Sam approached Dean. “Okay, hilarious. Haha. Where’d you hide it?”_

_“What, your computer?” Dean asked._

_Angela frowned. “Look, we can find it later, but we need to figure out what’s going on…”_

_Sam ignored her. “Yeah, where’d you hide it?”_

_“Why would I take your computer?” Dean asked._

_“Because Angie wouldn’t, and no one else could have. We keep the door locked. We never let any maids in.”_

_“Looks like you lost it, Poindexter.”_

_“Dude, you know something? I put up with a lot from you.”_

_“What are you talking about?” Dean asked. “I’m a joy to be around. Ask Angie.”_

_“Yeah? Your dirty socks in the sink, your food in the fridge.” Sam said._

_“What’s wrong with my food?”_

_“Sam, Dean, come on, let’s just calm down,” Angela said._

_“It’s not food anymore, Dean! It’s Darwinism. All I ask from you, the one thing, is that you don’t mess with my stuff!” Sam continued ignoring her._

_“You done?” Dean asked._

_“You know, how would you feel if I screwed with the Impala?”_

_“It’d be the last thing you ever did.”_

~/~\~

“Did you take his computer?” Bobby asked.

“Serves him right, but, no,” Dean grumbled.

“Well, Angie didn’t take it. And I didn’t lose it. ‘Cause I don’t lose things.” Sam muttered.

“Oh, that’s right, ‘cause he’s Mr. Perfect.”

“Will both of you shut up?!” Angie yelled, frustrated.

Sam and Dean actually flinched when she yelled and looked at her, wide-eyed.

“Sorry, Angie.” The brothers mumbled.

Bobby nodded at her in thanks. “Okay, okay. Why don’t you just tell me what happened next?”

“There was one more victim. Now, we didn’t see this one ourselves, either. We kind of put it together from the evidence. But this guy, he was a research scientist. Animal testing.” Sam replied.

“Yeah, you know, a dick, which fits the pattern,” Dean added.


	14. Tall Tales Part 2

_A window latch slid aside as Sam opened it from the outside with a small knife. With their flashlights in hand, Sam and Angela crawled in through the window._

_“Hey,” Dean said as he tossed his flashlight to Angela, then climbed through. Dean opened a body drawer and took the flashlight back, shining it through. He grimaced. “Well, this ought to be quick.”_

_They slid the drawer out and gingerly peeled off the bloody blanket, revealing extremely mangled remains._

_“Okay, that is just nasty,” Dean said._

_“Uh, yeah.” Sam and Angela agreed._

_“Mutilated?” Dean asked._

_“Looks to me like something was hungry,” Angela said._

_“They identify him yet?”_

_“Yeah.” Sam nodded. “A research scientist at the college. Guess where his office was, by the way. Crawford Hall, same as the professor.”_

_“That’s right where the frat boy had his close encounter,” Dean muttered._

_“Yeah,” Sam replied. “Hey, grab me that thing, would you?”_

_Dean slid a magnifier/light over to Sam, who peered through it at the corpse._

_“Thanks,” Sam replied._

_“What is it?” Angela asked._

_“Looks like… a belly scale?” Sam replied._

_“A belly scale? From what?” Dean asked._

_“Uh… an alligator?”_

_“An alligator in the sewer,” Dean said. “Come on.”_

_“What?” Angela replied. “Well, Dean, it’s a classic urban legend. A kid flushes a baby alligator down the toilet, and it grows huge in the tunnels.”_

_“But no one’s ever really found one. They’re not real.” Dean said._

_“Neither’s an alien abduction, but something chomped on this guy,” Sam replied._

_“This couldn’t get any weirder,” Dean mumbled._

_“Maybe we should get some help,” Angela said. “I’ll call Bobby. Maybe he’s run into something like this before.”_

_“Oh, I’m sure he has. Just your typical haunted campus, alien abduction, alligator-in-the-sewer gig. Yeah, it’s simple.” Dean said sarcastically._

_Angela rolled her eyes at his sarcasm._

~/~\~

“We decided to search the sewers anyway, so we split up, Angela and I taking one end of the campus and Dean the other,” Sam said.

“Did you find anything?” Bobby asked.

“Yeah, I found something, just not in the sewer,” Dean replied.

~/~\~

_Dean emerged from the sewer and entered the alley where the Impala was parked. All four tires were flat._

_“Son of a bitch!” he yelled. He circled and found a money clip on the ground, engraved with S. W. “Sam!”_

~/~\~

_Sam was reading a book and Angela was lying down on one of the beds, looking up at the ceiling as Dean entered._

_“You think this is funny?” Dean asked._

_“It depends,” Sam replied. “What?”_

_“The car!”_

_“What about the car?” Sam asked._

_“You can’t let the air out of the tires. You’re gonna bend the rims!”_

_“Whoa, wait a minute,” Sam replied. “I didn’t go near your car.”_

_“Oh, yeah? Huh. Then how’d I find this?” Dean held up the money clip._

_Sam patted his pockets and stood. “Hey, give me back my money.”_

_“Oh, no, no. Consider it reparations. For, uh, emotional trauma.”_

_Angela just sighed audibly. All this fighting was really stressing her out._

_“Yeah, very funny. Now give it back.” Sam said, reaching for the clip._

_“No,” Dean replied._

_“Dean, I have had it up to here with you,” Sam said._

_“Yeah? Right back at you!” Dean yelled._

_Sam reached for the money again, and Dean avoided him. Sam grabbed at him again and tackled him on the bed._

_“Get off me!”_

_“Give it back!” Sam yelled._

_Angela stood up, prying them apart. “Both of you need to stop it!” she yelled at them. “You’re driving me insane! Just shut it for five minutes, will you?!” she asked. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed._

_Sam looked down at her. “Sorry, Angie…”_

_“It’s fine, just, just please stop fighting for two minutes.” She pleaded._

~/~\~

“Okay, I’ve heard enough,” Bobby said.

“You showed up about an hour after that,” Dean muttered.

“Angie and I are surprised at you two. We really are.” Bobby replied. “Sam, first off, Dean did not steal your computer.”

“But I-

“Shh, shh, shh, shh!” Bobby shushed. “Dean, Sam did not touch your car.”

“Yeah.” Sam nodded.

“And if you two bothered to pull your heads out of your asses, which would help not stress Angie out, it all would have been pretty clear,” Bobby said.

“What?” Dean asked.

“What you’re dealing with.”

“Uh…” Sam frowned.

“I got nothing.”

“Me neither.” Angela sighed.

“You got a trickster on your hands,” Bobby informed.

“That’s what I thought,” Dean nodded.

“What?! No, you didn’t.” Sam replied.

“I got to tell you… you guys were the biggest clue,” Bobby said.

“What do you mean?” Sam frowned.

“These things create chaos and mischief as easy as breathing, and it’s got you so turned around and at each other’s throats, which made Angie try to get you two to stop bickering, you can’t even think straight.”

“The laptop,” Sam muttered.

“The tires.”

“So why didn’t it affect Angie?” Sam asked.

“Probably because he wanted us to be distracted.” Angela murmured. “You two were distracted by bickering, and I was distracted by trying to calm you both down.”

Bobby nodded. “It knows you’re onto him, and it’s been playing you like fiddles.”

“So, what is it, spirit, demon, what?” Dean asked.

“Well, more like demigods, really,” Bobby replied. “There’s Loki in Scandinavia. There’s Anansi in West Africa. Dozens of them. They’re immortal, and they can create things out of thin air. Things as real as you and me. Make them vanish just as quick.”

“You mean like an angry spirit or an alien or an alligator,” Dean said.

“The victims fit the M.O., too. Tricksters target the high and the mighty, knock them down a peg, usually with a sense of humor, deadly pranks, things like that.” Bobby added.

“Bobby, what do these things look like?” Dean asked.

“Lots of things, but human, mostly.”

“And what human do we know who’s been at ground zero this whole time?” Dean looked at Sam and Angela.

Angela frowned and looked at Sam, who got it a few moments later.

~/~\~

The janitor, a.k.a. the trickster locked a gate with a key to his belt. Sam, Dean, and Angela followed him up a staircase.

“Sorry, I’m dragging a little ass today, guys. Had quite the night last night.” The trickster said. “Lots of sex, if you catch my drift.”

“Yeah, hard not to. Listen, we won’t be long.” Dean said. “We just need to check a couple offices up on 3.”

“No problem.” The trickster said.

“I, uh, forgot something in the truck. You know what? I’ll catch up with you guys.” He said. He looked at Angela, grabbing her hand. “Come help me with it.”

“Okay.” Dean nodded.

Sam and Angela waited until they were out of sight, then hurried back to the locked gate. Sam pulled out his lock picking tools. They entered and rummaged through the lockers. Angela found a copy of the Weekly World News in one.

~/~\~

The three exited the building.

“Just ‘cause he reads the Weekly World News doesn’t mean he’s our guy,” Angela said. “You read it, too.” She said to Dean.

“I’m telling you, it’s him,” Dean replied.

“Look, I just think we need some hard proof,” Sam replied. “That’s all.”

“Another thing Bobby mentioned was that these suckers have a metabolism like an insect, a real sweet tooth,” Dean added.

“We didn’t find any candy bars or sugar. Not even Equal.” Sam replied.

“Probably missed something,” Dean mumbled.

“I don’t miss things,” Sam replied.

“Oh, right, ‘cause you’re Mr. Perfect,” Dean said.

“What? Are you really still pissed at me ‘cause of what the trickster did?”

Angela smacked both of them upside the head. “Stop it.” 

“Ow…” Dean grumbled.

Sam rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. “Right. Sorry Angie.” 

“You been a tight ass long before that trickster showed up,” Dean mumbled.

Angela glared slightly. “Dean!”

“Sorry…” he replied.

From an upper window, the trickster was watching them.

“Look, just… stay here, keep an eye on the janitor. Angie and I will go to his place to see if we can find any actual evidence before you go barging in and staking the man! Just wait till we get back, okay? Okay?”

“Okay!” Dean replied.

Sam grabbed Angela’s hand and, and left. Dean started pacing.

~/~\~

Dean was still waiting impatiently. “Eh, screw this.”

He entered the building, poking around cautiously with his flashlight. As he went up the last staircase he put the flashlight away and pulled out a large wooden stake. He heard something behind him, tucked the stake into his jacket, and entered the theater. On the stage is a round red bed with a tacky canopy and a slowly rotating disco ball. There were two women sprawled on it seductively. As he got to the stage, the crawled towards him.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Dean.” The brunette purred.

“Y-Y-You guys aren’t real.” He stammered.

“Trust me, sugar, it’s gonna feel real.” The brunette said.

“Come on. Let us give you a massage.” The blonde said.

“You know, I’m a, I’m a sucker for a happy ending. Really, I am, but… I-I’m gonna have to pass.”

The trickster sat in the audience. “They’re a peace offering. I know what you, your brother and his girlfriend do. I’ve been around a while. Run into your kind before.”

“Well, then you know that I… can’t let you just keep hurting people.”

“Come on! Those people got what was coming to them. Hoisted on their own petards. But you, Sam and Angela, I like you. I do. So treat yourself… long as you want. Just long enough for me to move on to the next town.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I can let you do that,” Dean replied.

“I don’t want to hurt you. And you know that I can.” The trickster said.

“Look, man, I, I got to tell you, I dig your style, all right? I mean,” he chuckled. “I do. I mean… the...the slow dancing alien,”

“One of my personal favorites. Yeah.”

“But, uh, I can’t let you go.” Dean shrugged.

“Too bad. Like I said, I like you. Sam was right, You shouldn’t have come alone.”

“Well, I’ll agree with you there.”

The door slammed shut. The trickster looked back up the stairs to see Sam and Angela enter with large stakes of their own. Bobby stood at the top of the next aisle, also with a stake.

“That fight you guys had outside, Angela smacking you, that was a trick? Hmm. Not bad. But you want to see a real trick?”

A masked man with a chainsaw appeared near Sam and Angela and attacked. The brunette attacked Dean. The trickster watched, entertained, as Bobby, Sam and Angela grappled with the chainsaw man and Dean fought with the two women. They threw him into the seats near the trickster.

“Nice toss, ladies!” the trickster said, standing. “Dean… Dean, Dean, Dean.”

Sam tossed a stake to Dean.

“I did not want to have to do this.” The trickster sighed.

“Me neither,” Dean replied. As Dean ground the in the stake, the woman and the chainsaw man disappeared. Dean pulled the stake out, and the trickster fell, apparently dead, into a seat.

~/~\~

Sam, Angela, and Bobby approached Dean.

“You guys okay?” Dean asked.

“Yeah. I guess.” Angela and Sam replied.

“All I got to say… he had style,” Dean said. 

“Bobby, thanks a lot.” Angela smiled.

“Hey, save it! Let’s get the hell out of dodge before somebody finds that body.”

“Yeah.” Dean nodded.

Sam paused at the car. “Look, Dean, um… I just want to say that I’m, uh… um…”

“Hey. Me too.” Dean said.

Angela feigned sniffling. “Aw, you guys are makin’ me tear up.” 

“You guys are breaking my heart,” Bobby said. “Could we please just leave?”

The three exchanged a look over the top of the car, got in, and drove away.


	15. Roadkill Part 1

Molly ran through the woods away from the cabin. She staggered onto the road, where a car approached. “Stop!” she yelled. She stood in the middle of the road, hands out; the car stopped just short of her. It was the Impala. “You’ve got to help me.” She begged, as she went to pound on the passenger side window, which Sam rolled down. “Please. Please!”

“All right, all right,” Sam replied. “Calm down, calm down. Tell us what happened.”

~/~\~

Sam, Angela, and Dean had parked the Impala by the road and all four were standing around it.

“I-I swerved, a-and we crashed.” She stammered. “And when I came to, the car was wrecked and my husband was missing. I went looking for him, but that’s when the man from the road, he… he started chasing me.”

“Did he look like he lost a fight with a lawnmower?” Dean asked.

“How did you know that?” she frowned.

“Ma’am, what’s your name?” Sam asked softly.

“Molly. Molly Mcnamara.” She answered.

Angela exchanged a look with Dean and Sam.

Angela looked at Molly. “I think maybe you should come with us. We’ll take you back into town.”

“I can’t.” she shook her head. “I have to find David. He might have gone back to the car.”

“We should get you somewhere safe first,” Sam suggested. “Then Dean, Angela, and I will come back. We’ll look for your husband.”

“No.” she replied. “I’m not leaving here without him. Would you just take me back to my car, please?” she asked.

“Of course,” Angela nodded. “Come on.”

~/~\~

The Impala parked by the woods near the crash site. They all got out, Molly leading them into the woods.

“It’s right over there.” She pointed.

They came upon the crash site, but the car was gone.

“I don’t understand.” She whispered in disbelief. “I’m sure this is where it was. W-We hit that tree right there. This… this doesn’t make any sense.” 

“Guys, we got to get out of here,” Sam whispered so that Molly couldn't hear. “Greely could show up at any second.”

“What are you gonna tell her?” Dean asked.

“The truth?” Angela suggested.

“She’s gonna take off running in the other direction,” Dean muttered.

“I know it sounds crazy, but I crashed into that tree,” Molly walked back over to the hunters. “I don’t know who could’ve taken it. It was totaled. Please. You have to believe me.”

“Molly, listen, we do believe you,” Angela started. “But that’s why we want to get you out of here.”

“What about David?” Molly asked worriedly. “Something must have happened. I have to get to the cops.”

“Cops… that’s a great idea.” Dean nodded. “We’ll take you down to the station ourselves. So just come with us. It’s the best way we can help you and your husband.”

“Okay.” Molly nodded.

~/~\~

They drove down the road, Molly in the backseat with Angela.

“We’re supposed to be in Lake Tahoe,” Molly whispered.

“You and David?” Angela asked.

“It’s our five-year anniversary,” Molly replied.

“Hell of an anniversary,” Dean muttered.

“Right before, we were having the dumbest fight.” She said. “It was the only time we ever really argued… when we were stuck in the car.”

“Yeah. I know how that goes.” Sam said.

Dean scowled at him and Angela just giggled.

“You know the last thing I said to him?” Molly asked. “I called him a jerk. Oh, god. What if that’s the last thing I said to him?”

Sam turned to face her. “Molly… we’re gonna figure out what happened to your husband. I promise.”

The radio started making odd noises, then played ‘House of the Rising Sun’. Dean frowned at it.

“Did you...?” Dean asked.

“No,” Sam replied.

“I was afraid you’d say that.”

“This song,” Molly whispered.

“What?” Angela asked.

“It was playing when we crashed.”

The radio crackled again and settled on another station. A creepy voice, Greely’s voice, could be heard.

 _“She’s mine. She’s mine. She’s mine.”_ Greely’s voice said.

“What is that?” Molly frowned.

Greely appeared in the middle of the road. Dean floored it straight at him.

“Hold on,” Dean warned.

“What are you doing?” Molly asked.

He drove straight into Greely, who vanished in a puff of smoke.

“What the… What the hell just happened?” Molly asked in awe.

“Don’t worry, Molly. Everything’s gonna be all right.” Angela assured.

At that moment, the Impala began to shudder.

“Spoke a little too soon, Angie,” Dean said.

The Impala coasted to a stop on the side of the road.

“I don’t think he’s gonna let her leave,” Dean added.

~/~\~

All four exited the car.

“This can’t be happening.” Molly groaned.

“Well… trust me, it’s happening,” Dean replied as he opened the trunk and started pulling out weaponry.

Molly came around and saw the arsenal, and backed away slowly. “Well… okay.” She said. “Thanks for helping, but I think I got it covered from here.”

Sam went after her. “Wait. Molly, Molly, wait a minute.”

“Just leave me alone.” She begged.

Angela followed Sam and Molly. “No. Please. You have to listen to us.”

“Just stay away,” Molly said as she turned and started to leave.

“It wasn’t a coincidence that we found you, all right?” Angela called.

Molly stopped and turned back. “What are you talking about?”

“We weren’t cruising for chicks when we ran into you, sister,” Dean said. “We were already out here. Hunting.”

“Hunting for what?” Molly asked.

“Ghosts.” Dean shrugged.

“D…d...don’t… sugar coat it for her,” Sam said, exasperated.

“You’re nuts,” Molly scoffed.

“Really?” Dean asked. “About as nuts as a vanishing guy with his guts spilling out. You know what you saw.”

“We think his name is Jonah Greely,” Angela said. “He was a local farmer that died 15 years ago on this highway.”

“Just stop,” Molly replied.

“One night a year, on the anniversary of his death, he haunts this road. That’s why we’re here, Molly. To try and stop him.” Sam explained.

“Now, I suppose this ghost made my car disappear, too.”

“Crazier things have happened. Huh?” Dean replied.

“You know what?” Molly asked. “I’m all filled up on crazy. I’m gonna get the cops myself.”

“I don’t mean to be harsh, but I don’t think you’re gonna get very far,” Dean replied.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Molly frowned.

“Means that plan ‘A’ was trying to get you out of here,” Dean replied. “Obviously that didn’t go over too well with, uh, Farmer Road Kill.”

“Molly, we’re telling the truth,” Angela said. “Greely’s not gonna let you leave this highway.”

“You’re s… you’re serious about this, aren’t you?” Molly asked.

“Deadly,” Dean replied.

“Every year, Greely finds someone to punish for what happened to him,” Sam said. “Tonight that person is you.”

“Why me?” she asked. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Angela shrugged. “Some spirits only see what they want.”

“So you’re saying this Greely, he took my husband?” Molly asked. “Oh, god.”

“Molly, look, we’re gonna help, all right?” Angela replied. “But first, you got to help us.”

“Help you? How?” Molly frowned.

~/~\~

Molly led them back to the cabin where she saw Greely. “This is it. This is where I saw him.”

“Must have been his hunting cabin,” Dean said. He saw vicious tools hanging and a bloodstained table. “Seemed like a real sweet guy.”

“No markers or headstones outside,” Sam noted.

“You’re looking for Greely’s grave?” Molly asked.

“Yeah.” Sam and Angela nodded.

Molly eyed them. “Why?”

“So we can dig up the corpse and salt and burn it,” Dean replied casually.

“Oh. Sure. Naturally.” Molly nodded.

“It’s a way to get rid of a spirit,” Angela replied.

“And that’ll save David?”

“This is what’ll help both of you, provided there’s a corpse to be found,” Sam replied.

“So how do we find it?” Molly asked.

“Uh, not sure,” Sam said. “After Greely died, his wife claimed the body. And that was the last anyone saw of her. So good guess she brought him back here. But they have a thousand acres. He could be buried anywhere on ‘em.”

“Is this really what you guys do?” Molly asked. “You’re like the Ghostbusters?”

“Yeah.” Angela nodded.

“Minus the jumpsuits,” Dean added. “This is a fascinating conversation and all, but this highway is only haunted once a year, and we got till sun up to wrap this thing up. What do you say we move it along, okay? Great.”

They went outside and continued their search.

“What are we looking for?” Molly asked.

“Greely’s house,” Sam said. “Maybe he’s buried there. Look for roads or paths or something. Stay close.”

“Yeah. Okay.” Molly replied before she heard a voice.

“Molly? Molly, help me. Molly?” the voice called.

“David? David?” She asked. She went in search of the voice. Greely appeared and grabbed her and Molly screamed.

Dean pointed his shotgun at Greely. “Whoops.” He said as he shot Greely in the head and he dissipated.

Sam and Angela ran to them. “Hey! Are you all right?” 

“What has that son of a bitch done with my husband?” Molly asked.

“Just take it easy, all right?” Sam replied. “You’re gonna see David again. You will.”

“Hey.” Dean indicated something ahead of them. “Follow the creepy brick road.”

Sam gestured Molly to follow Dean, and Sam and Angela took up the rear. “Go ahead.” They told her.

“That thing shoots rock salt?” Molly asked.

“Yep.” Sam nodded.

“And plain salt keep away spirits?”

“Simple remedies are always the best.” Angela nodded. “In most cultures, salt is a symbol of purity, so it repels impure and unnatural things. Same reason you throw it over your shoulder.”

Molly eyed Sam and Angela. “I’ve noticed you two are rather close. And you two are kinda in sync. Are you dating?”

Angela blushed and shared a look with Sam. “Uh, no,” they replied, shaking their heads.

Molly just raised a brow. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

They rounded a corner and saw a creepy house.

“You know, just once I’d like to round the corner and see a nice house,” Dean said.

Sam, Angela, and Molly entered the house; Dean stayed outside to look around, then entered.

“Any headstones outside?” Angela and Sam asked.

“Yeah, right.” Dean scoffed. “Is it ever that easy?”

“I guess not,” Sam replied.

“You and Molly check upstairs. See if you can find any notes or records telling us where he’s buried. I’ll just check down here with Angie.” Dean instructed.

Sam and Molly started walking upstairs.

“So, Angie,” Molly started with a smile. “What’s your situation with her? There’s _no way_ you’re just friends.”

“Well, we are,” Sam mumbled, looking around. “There’s nothing else between us…”

“So you don’t like… have feelings for her?”

“Well… Maybe a bit. But don’t tell her.” He admitted hesitantly. “It’s kinda hard having a stable relationship in this life…”

“My lips are sealed.”

They found a room strewn with papers.

“Great,” Sam muttered.

He started going through the papers; Molly found an old photo album by the window and opened it.

“Look at this.” She said. She took the album to the bed and sat down. Sam joined her. “It’s Greely and his wife.” She turned a few pages. “It’s a love letter he wrote to her. My god, it’s beautiful. I don’t understand how a guy like this can turn into that monster.”

“Spirits like Greely are, uh… like wounded animals. Lost. In so much pain, that they lash out.” Sam whispered.

“Why? Why are they here?”

“Well, there’s some part of them that… that’s keeping them here. Like their remains or, um… unfinished business.” Sam explained.

“Unfinished business?”

“Yeah. It could be revenge. Could be love. Or hate. Whatever it is, they just hold on too tight. Can’t let go. So they’re trapped. Caught in the same loops. Replaying the same tragedies over and over.”

“You sound almost sorry for them,” Molly said.

“Well, they weren’t evil people, you know?” Sam replied. “A lot of them were good. Just… something happened to them. Something they couldn’t control.”

“That’s a really good way to put it, Sam,” Angela said from the doorway.

“Sammy and Angie are always getting a little J. Love Hewitt when it comes to things like this. Me, I don’t like ‘em. And I sure as hell ain’t making apologies for ‘em. There’s nothing downstairs.”

“What about you two? What’d you find in here?” Angela asked.

“Uh, just about every piece of mail or receipt they ever had,” Sam said. “Looked through a couple, but nothing about a grave so far.”

Dean investigated a wall.

“What?” Sam and Angela asked.

“There’s something behind here.” He said. He tossed the flashlight to Sam. “Here.” He said, moving a cabinet aside, revealing a small hidden door. He poked at it. “It’s locked from the inside.” He added. He turned around and threw a back kick at the door, which did nothing. He looked surprised, then braced himself and kicked harder. The door fell inward. They crawled through. “Smells like old lady in here.” He muttered.

Angela found a corpse hanging by the neck from the ceiling. “And that would explain why. Well, now we know why nobody ever saw her again.”

“She didn’t want to live without him,” Molly muttered.

Sam picked up a chair as if to take down the corpse. “Dean, give me a hand.”

“Really?” Dean asked.

“What are you gonna do?” Molly asked.

“We can’t leave her like this.” Angela murmured.

“Why not?” Dean asked.

“She deserved to be put to rest, Dean,” Sam replied.

Dean reluctantly agreed. Sam stood on the chair and began to cut through the rope as Dean steadied the corpse.


	16. Roadkill Part 2

Sam and Dean dug a grave for Mrs. Greely.

“So… So, if you manage to put Greely to rest, too… what happens to them?”

“Lady, that answer is way beyond our pay grade,” Dean answered.

“You hunt these things, but you don’t know what happens to them?”

“Well, they never come back. That’s all that matters.” Dean replied.

Angela noticed that the answer hadn’t satisfied Molly. “After they let go of whatever’s keeping them here, they… they just go. I hope they go to someplace better, but we don’t know. No one does.”

“What happens when you burn their bones?” Molly asked.

“Well, my dad used to say that it was like death for ghosts, you know?” Sam replied. “But… the truth is, we still don’t know. Not for sure.” He looked at Dean. “Guess that’s why we all hold on to life so hard. Even the dead. We’re all just scared of the unknown.”

“The only thing I’m scared of is losing David.” Molly murmured. “I have to see him again. I have to.”

~/~\~

Molly was pacing in one room, looking through the photo album. Sam, Angela, and Dean were waiting in another room nearby.

“I think we should tell her about her husband,” Angela muttered.

“We can’t,” Dean replied.

“Dean, it’s cruel, letting her pine for him like this,” Sam argued. “I don’t like keeping her in the dark and neither does Angie.”

“It’s for her own good,” Dean replied. “I know you two feel guilty, but let’s just stick to the plan. Let’s get her out of here. Then we’ll tell her.”

Molly approached them. “Tell me what? What aren’t you telling me?” she asked. “It’s about David. You know what happened to him.”

“Molly-

“Sam, Angie, don’t.” Dead cut in.

“Don’t what? Don’t tell me because I’ll mess up your hunt?” she asked. “You don’t care about me or my husband.”

“That’s not true,” Angela said.

“Really? Then whatever it is, tell me, please.” She begged. They heard the song ‘House of the Rising Sun’ begin to play. “He’s coming.”

“Stay with her…” Dean said. “Angie, come with me.”

Dean and Angela cautiously go towards the sound. Dean uncovered the dusty radio that powered itself up. Angela crouched down and found a broken, frayed power cord. Dean heard another noise and went towards the front door. It frosted over and the words ‘SHE’S MINE’ appeared.

In the other room, Molly was standing by the window. Sam stepped cautiously forward towards the next room. Suddenly a figure crashed through the window behind Molly and grabbed her. She screamed as she was dragged outside. Dean and Angela came running back.

“He’s got Molly!” Sam yelled.

The three of them leaped through the window and chased them through the woods. 

“This guy is persistent,” Dean muttered.

“We got to find Molly,” Angela added.

“We got to find Greely’s bones. And, uh, no pressure or anything, but we got less than two hours before sunrise.” Dean replied.

Sam was looking through the photo album. “Hey.”

“What do you got?” Dean asked.

Sam read the caption on the photograph. “February 6, 1992.”

“That was like two weeks before the accident, wasn’t it?” Dean asked.

“Yeah.” Sam nodded. “It looks like the hunting cabin, but… I swear there’s a tree right where they’re standing. Should have thought of it.”

“What?” Dean asked.

“It’s an old country custom, Dean. Planting a tree as a grave marker.” Sam said.

“You’re like a walking encyclopedia of weirdness,” Dean muttered.

“Yeah. I know.” Sam nodded.

“And I love it.” Angela grinned, earning a smile from Sam as they left.

~/~\~

Molly was hanging from the ceiling by her wrists. “Where’s David? What did you do to him?”

“You shouldn’t worry about him anymore,” Greely replied.

“Oh, my god.” She breathed.

“You should worry about yourself.”

“I didn’t do anything to you,” Molly muttered.

“Oh?” Greely asked.

“I know… I know about your wife.” She said as he ran a filthy hand over her face. “Hurting me won’t bring her back.”

“My wife is gone. All I got left is hurting you.” He slid a finger across her collarbone, slicing flesh.

“P-Please. Just let me go.”

“Go? You’re not gonna leave. You’re never gonna leave.” He dragged a finger across her belly, gouging deep.

Sam, Angela, and Dean approached the cabin from the outside, carrying shovels.

“Go get Molly,” Sam said to Dean.

As Dean headed inside, Sam and Angela began to dig around the tree. Inside, Greely was approaching Molly menacingly when his head exploded in a shotgun burst, revealing Dean behind him.

“Oh, thank god.”

“Call me Dean.” He smirked slightly.

Greely appeared behind Dean, who turned to face him. Greely gestured and Dean cried out, a cut appearing on his cheek.

“This guy’s really pissing me off,” Dean muttered.

Greely gestured again and Dean flew backward, slamming against the wall.

Outside, Sam and Angela dug feverishly. She hit something hard.

Inside, Dean was struggling against the wall. Greely reached out, and the knife flew into his hand.

Sam emptied a box of salt into the open grave.

Greely approached Dean with the knife.

Angela emptied a container of gasoline into the grave, lit a match, and dropped it in.

Greely froze and reared back in pain.

The corpse in the grave caught on fire and burned.

Greely burst into flames, was consumed, and disappeared. The knife fell to the floor.

~/~\~

The four approached the Impala and Dean patted it lovingly.

“Oh, baby, it’s been a long night.” He said. He dropped his back in the back, then climbed into the driver’s seat. Sam opened the backdoor for Molly and Angela.

“All right. Let’s get you out of here.” Angela said to Molly.

“I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me what happened to my husband.”

“Molly…” Sam said.

“All this time I’ve been looking for him, and you knew that… You knew that Greely killed him, didn’t you? He’s dead.”

“No, Molly. David’s alive.” Angela whispered.

“What? You’re sure?”

“We’re sure.” Sam nodded. “We’ll take you to him. Come on.”

Grinning, she got in the car.

~/~\~

They pulled up in front of a nice suburban home. The lights were on inside.

“He’s in that house right there,” Angela said.

“I don’t understand.” Molly murmured.

“You will,” Sam said.

The got out. She approached the window and could see David inside. He was older, wearing a bathrobe, and pouring a cup of coffee.

“That’s not… It can’t be.”

David looked up and a woman in a bathrobe came up to him, kissing him on the lips.

“What’s happening?” Molly asked, turning back to the hunters. “Who is that?”

“That’s David’s wife,” Angela said. “I’m sorry, Molly. 15 years ago, you and your husband hit Jonah Greely with your car. David survived.”

“What are you saying?”

“We’re saying there isn’t just one spirit haunting Highway 41,” Dean said. “There are two. Jonah Greely and you.”

“For the past 15 years, one night a year you’ve been appearing on that highway,” Sam said.

“No. That’s not possible. It was our anniversary… February 22nd…”

“1992.” Sam and Angela whispered.

“Yes.” Molly nodded.

“Molly, it’s 2007,” Dean informed.

“Oh, god.” Molly breathed.

~/~\~

_“All right. Tell me about highway 41.” Dean said._

_“12 accidents over 15 years,” Angela said. “Five of them fatal, all of them happening on the same night.”_

_“So what are we looking at… interstate dead zone? Phantom hitchhiker?” Dean asked. “What?”_

_“Not quite,” Sam said. “Year after year, witnesses said the same thing made them crash. A woman appearing in the middle of the road being chased by a man covered in blood.”_

_“Two spooks?”_

~/~\~

_Sam, Dean, and Angela found old newspaper articles referring to Molly and Jonah’s deaths._

~/~\~

_“Now, where is Molly buried?” Dean asked._

_“She… she wasn’t buried anywhere. She was cremated.” David said._

~/~\~

_“So much for burning her bones,” Dean muttered._

_“Yeah, but then what’s keeping her here?” Angela asked._

~/~\~

Molly saw the events of the crash and the aftermath in flashes.

“Some spirits only see what they want.” Sam murmured, returning to the present.

~/~\~

_“David?! David?!” Molly ran out onto the road, stopping the Impala. “Stop! Stop! You have to help me.”_

_“Dean, Sam, I don’t think she knows she’s dead,” Angela said._

_“Please! Open up! Please!” Molly cried._

_“Okay. All right, all right. Just calm down. Tell us what happened.” Sam said._

~/~\~

_“What are you gonna tell her?”_

_“The truth?” Angela muttered._

_“She’s gonna take off running in the other direction.”_

~/~\~

_“Some spirits hold on too tight. Can’t let go.”_

~/~\~

“And Greely?” Molly asked, returning to the present.

“Each year he punishes somebody for his death… chasing them,” Angela said. “Torturing them. And each year, that somebody is you.”

“But I don’t remember any of it.”

“Because you couldn’t see the truth, Molly,” Sam said.

“So that’s why he won’t let me off the highway. Because… I killed him. I killed us both.”

~/~\~

Molly sat on the steps. “Why didn’t you tell me when you first saw me? Why wait until now?”

“You wouldn’t have believed us.” Dean murmured.

“And you needed me for bait.”

“Well, we needed you,” Sam said.

“David.” Molly murmured.

“Molly, we brought you here so you could move on,” Angela said.

“I have to tell him.”

“Tell him what?” Sam asked. “That you love him? That you’re sorry? Molly, he already knows that. Look, if you want to go in there, we’re not gonna stop you.”

“Yeah, but you are gonna freak him right out. For life.” Dean said.

“David’s already said his goodbyes, Molly,” Angela said. “Now it’s your turn. This is your unfinished business.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Just… Let go. Of David. Of everything.” Sam said. “You do that… We think you’ll move on.”

“But you don’t know where.”

“No. But Molly, you don’t belong here. Haven’t you suffered long enough? It’s time. It’s time to go.” Sam said.

She nodded sadly and stood on her tiptoes. “Tell her how you feel.” She whispered to Sam, so only he could hear. “For me, because one day it’ll be too late.” She added. She stepped away from him. She turned her face upwards as the first light of dawn crept over the rooftops. Bathed in the light, she became part of the light and vanished.

“I guess she wasn’t so bad… For a ghost. You think she’s really going to a better place?” Dean muttered.

“I hope so.” Angela and Sam said.

“I guess we’ll never know. Not until we take the plunge ourselves, huh?”

“Doesn’t really matter, Dean,” Sam said. “Hope’s kind of the whole point.”

“All right, Haley Joel.” He smacked him on the shoulder. “Let’s hit the road.” He got in the car.

“Hey, Sam,” Angela said. “What did she whisper to ya?”

He looked at Angela and swallowed thickly. “It’s nothing, Angie. Don’t worry about it.”

They crossed the road and got in the Impala as a light rain began to fall.


	17. Heart Part 1

In the morgue, Sam and Angela watched as the employees slid Nate’s corpse from his compartment.

“Here he is, Detectives.” the employee said. Nate's body had stitches running along his chest, stomach, shoulders, and throat.

“That’s a pretty nasty bite,” Angela commented.

“Mm-hmm.” The employee nodded.

“You know what bit him?” Sam asked.

The employee averted her eyes. “I haven’t quite determined that just yet.”

“Come on, Doc,” Angela replied. “Off the record.”

“Okay, way, way off the record.” The employee said.

“Sure.” Sam nodded.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say this guy was attacked by a wolf. But unless I know that the zoo is missing one of their Lobos, I’m going with pitbull.” She replied. “I like my job.”

Sam chuckled. “Yeah, I hear you. One more thing. This guy, was his heart missing?”

“Yeah, how did you know that? I haven’t even finished my report.”

“Lucky guess,” Sam replied.

~/~\~

Dean was cleaning his guns. “This lawyer guy the first heart-free corpse in town?”

“The first man,” Angela replied. “Over the past year, several women have gone missing. Dead bodies all washed up later in the bay, too deteriorated to draw firm conclusions.”

“But no hearts?” Dean asked.

“No hearts.” She nodded. “They were all hookers working at Hunter’s Point. Now, cops are trying to keep things under wrap, but they’re looking for a serial killer.”

“And the lunar cycle?” Dean raised a brow.

“Mm-hmm.” Sam nodded. “Yeah, month after month, all the murders happen in the week leading up to the full moon.”

“Which is this week, right?”

“Hence the lawyer,” Sam replied.

“Awesome,” Dean grinned.

“Dean, could you be a bigger geek about this?” Angela smiled slightly.

“I’m sorry, Angie, but what about ‘a human by day, a freak animal killing machine by moonlight’ don’t you understand?” Dean asked. “I mean, werewolves are badass. Sam and I haven’t seen one since we were kids.”

“Okay, Sparky,” Sam laughed. “And you know what?” he asked, smirking. “After we kill it, we can go to Disneyland.” He said, earning a laugh from Angela. He grinned back at her.

“You know what the best part about it is?” Dean asked. “We already know how to bring these suckers down.” He held up a silver bullet. “One of these bad boys right to the heart. So, what’s our next move?”

“Talk to the girl who found the body.” Sam and Angela replied.

Dean looked at them. “Seriously? You two have got to stop being all in sync when you say things. Weirds people out.”

Angela looked at Sam and they just shrugged.

~/~\~

“I don’t understand,” Madison said as she let the three into her apartment. “I already gave my statement.”

“Right, well, we just need to verify a few things,” Sam said.

“This is my neighbor, Glen,” Madison said. “Glen, this is Detective…”

“Landis. And Detectives Dante and Parada.” Dean replied, patting Sam and Angela on the back. Glen, a bearded man wearing a ‘Mission Church’ T-shirt, stood near them.

“Well, I guess I’ll leave you to it,” Glen said.

“Okay.” Madison nodded. “Thanks for the casserole.”

“Oh, how thoughtful,” Dean said.

“Just call if you need anything,” Glen told Madison before he left

“He’s sweet. Came over to check on me. Have a seat.” She said. They sat down at the kitchen table.

“You must be pretty shaken up,” Angela said. “You were Nate Mulligan’s assistant, right?”

“For two years, yeah.” Madison nodded.

“So, you knew all about him?” Dean asked.

“Probably knew more about him than he did.” She said. “Nate was… he was nice.”

“But?” Sam asked.

“Nothing, really.” Madison shrugged. “He had a few scotches in him, and he started hitting on anyone in a five-mile radius. You know the type.”

Sam and Angela noticed Dean practically salivating over her.

“Yeah. We do, actually.” Angela said.

“Did he have any enemies?” Dean asked, becoming serious.

“What do you mean?” Madison asked. “It sure looked like an animal attack.”

“No, yeah, we’re just covering all the bases,” Dean said. “Anyone that might have a beef with him, a former client, an ex?”

Sam noticed her think of somebody. “What?”

“Well, this is embarrassing, but my ex-boyfriend, Kurt--

“Kurt have a last name?” Dean asked.

“Mueller. After we broke up, he went kind of nuts. He’s… well, he’s kind of been stalking me. He got it in his head that something was going on between Nate and I. He showed up at my office.”

“What happened?” Angela asked.

“Kurt got into it with Nate, threw a punch before security grabbed him. I was lucky to keep my job.”

“When was the last time you saw Kurt?” Dean asked.

“A few nights ago. Actually, the night Nate died. We were all grabbing drinks at this bar, and Kurt showed up.”

“And?” Dean asked.

“Nothing. It was like he was watching me. Then he was gone. To tell you the truth… he scares me.”

~/~\~

“So, what do you think?” Dean asked.

“Stalker ex-boyfriend?” Angela muttered. “He hates the boss. And he was there that night.”

“You think he’s our dog-faced boy?” Dean asked.

“Well, it’s a theory,” Sam replied.

“We’ve had worse,” Dean said.

“Yeah.” Sam and Angela nodded.

“What do you say we pay Kurt a visit?” Dean asked.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela picked the lock and entered Kurt’s apartment. While they were looking through the kitchen, there was an animal watching them from the corner.

“Anything?” Angela asked.

Dean closed the fridge. “No, nothing but leftovers and a six-pack.”

“Check the freezer,” Sam said. “Maybe there’s some human hearts behind the Haagen-Daz or something.”

As Dean turned to the freezer, they heard a door open and close, followed by a crash outside. Dean stepped out the sliding door onto the balcony. On the wall of the building, he noticed claw marks sliding all the way down to the ground.

“Sam, Angie, come here!” he called. Sam and Angela joined him. “Check it out.”

~/~\~

A policeman was walking around and heard a crash.

“Somebody there?” he asked.

Suddenly, and animal watching from the dumpster jumped to attack the policeman as he approached.

From the apartment, Sam, Dean, and Angela heard a gunshot. They raced down to the street only to find the policeman’s body completely mauled.

“I’ll call 911,” Sam said.

Dean bent down to examine the corpse. “I’d say Kurt’s looking more and more like our Cujo.”

“Dean, if he’s out here, we better check on Madison,” Sam said.

~/~\~

The three knocked on Madison’s door. Across the hall, Glen opened his door to see the commotion.

“What’s going on?” Glen asked.

“Police business, Glen,” Angela replied.

Madison answered the door. “What is it?”

Sam glanced at Glen. “Well, maybe we should talk privately.”

~/~\~

Madison poured the three hunters coffee.

“Has Kurt been here?” Sam asked.

“Not exactly.”

“What does ‘not exactly’ mean?” Angela frowned.

“Well, he was outside last night. Just… looking. Just looking at me.” She said. Angela, Sam, and Dean shared a look. “Has he done something?”

“We’re not really sure,” Sam said.

“It’s probably nothing, but… we just don’t want to take any chances,” Dean said. “In fact, one of us should probably stay here with you, just in case he stops by. Where does he work?”

“He owns a body shop,” Madison replied.

“You mind grabbing that address for us?” Dean asked. She nodded and left the room. “Thanks.”

“All right, you and Angie go,” Sam said. “I’ll stay.”

“Forget that. You and Angie go after the creepy ex. I’m gonna hang here with the hot chick.”

“Dude, why do you always get to hang out with the girls?” Sam asked.

“Because I’m older,” Dean said. “And what? Is Angie not a girl?” Dean raised a brow.

Sam looked at Angela. “T-That’s not what I—

"I got it," Angela replied as jealousy coursed through her veins.

Sam turned back to Dean. “No, screw that,” Sam said. “We settle this the old-fashioned way.” He added. He took the coffee cups and set them down, then he raised his fist for Rock-Paper-Scissors. Dean played along, choosing scissors while Sam chose rock. “Dean, always with the scissors.”

“Shut up, shut up. Two out of three.” Dean mumbled.

They played once more, with Sam’s rock again beating Dean’s scissors.

“God!” Dean said.

Sam looked at Dean and Angela. “Bundle up out there, all right?”

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were walking to the body shop.

“I saw the way you were looking at him,” Dean commented.

“What?” Angela frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“You have feelings for him, it’s sort of obvious.” He replied. “And I can tell you’re jealous, maybe not a lot. But definitely a little bit.”

“That’s crazy talk Dean,” Angela replied. “I don’t have feelings for him, and I am certainly _not_ jealous.” 

“Oh please.” Dean rolled his eyes. “Sam might not see it, but I do. So, fess up Angie.” 

Angela sighed. “Fine. I have feelings for Sam… But uh, I’m just not the one for him I guess.” She shrugged. “Plus having a relationship in this life is kind of difficult…”

Dean smiled softly. “I think, deep down he returns those feelings. I do. I just don’t think he’s realized it yet. Don’t give up kiddo.”

~/~\~

Later that morning, Madison was checking through the mail while Sam watched from the kitchen table. He smiled uncomfortably at her.

“Um… do you wanna sit on the couch?” she asked.

“No. No, no. I’m okay.” Sam replied.

“It’s more comfortable.”

“Ah, I’m fine.” He assured her.

She came back to the table with a basket of laundry. She dumped it onto the table and began sorting through her underwear.

“You know, I think I will sit on the couch,” Sam muttered. He sat there awkwardly until his phone rang. He answered.

 _“Let me guess,”_ Dean said from the street. _“You’re sitting on her couch like a stiff, trying to think of something to say.”_

“Did you guys find Kurt?”

 _“No, he hasn’t been at work all week,”_ Dean replied. _“But because Angie’s good, and I mean really, really good, we got a line on where he might be.”_ He said. _“What’s she wearing?”_

“Bye, Dean.” Sam hung up.

Madison came to sit by Sam on the couch. She turned on the TV to a soap opera. Sam made a face, visibly annoyed by the choice of programming.

“I saw that.” Madison smiled slightly.

“Saw what?” Sam asked.

“Okay, this is the deal: my house, my TV. I never get to watch my show. So suck it up.”

Later, after the credits have rolled, Sam was completely riveted.

“Wait, so… Kendall married Ethan’s father just to get back at him?” He asked.

“Yup. And now she’s set to inherit all the casinos that were supposed to go to Ethan.”

“That bitch!” Sam exclaimed. 

“Admit it, you’re hooked.

“No, no, no, no, no. I wouldn’t say I’m hooked.” Sam smiled while Madison just giggled. “You know, can I ask you a question? It’s, it’s a little personal?”

“You’ve seen my entire underwear collection. Go ahead.”

“Okay, um… well, you’re, you’re clearly smart. I mean, your house is full of great books, you know? And you’re independent.”

“Uh-huh.” Madison nodded.

“What were you doing with Kurt?”

Madison paused. “I don’t know. I mean, it’s not like he introduced himself, like ‘Hi, I’m possessive and controlling and I like to punch people. Wanna be my girlfriend?’”

“Yeah, well, I guess we all make mistakes.”

“Yeah, well, mine’s wanted by the police. You wanna know why I stayed with him? Really?” she replied. He nodded. “I was too insecure to leave.”

“I find that hard to believe. I mean, you don’t really seem like the type.”

“Yeah, well, some stuff happened. My life changed, I changed. For the better, I think.”

“What happened?”

“Well, for one thing, I got mugged.”

“And that’s supposed to be a good thing?” Sam laughed slightly.

Madison laughed. “I know, it sounds strange. And don’t get me wrong, it rattled me. But then it hit me. I could keep feeling sorry for myself, or I could take control of my life. I chose the latter. First thing I did was tell Kurt he had to go.”

“Smart move,” Sam said.

“Apparently.” She nodded. “Everything else just opened up, blossomed. It’s all been wonderful, really.” She said. Sam shrugged. “What? Doesn’t everybody think that being a victim of random violence is the best thing that ever happened to them?”

Sam laughed. “Yeah, not so much. You’re… unusual.”

“Unusual, like…” she pointed to her head. “Unusual?”

“No. No. No, no, no. Unusual, like… impressive.”

“You think so?”

As Sam was about to answer, his phone rang. He smiled apologetically. “Sorry.” He muttered. “Hey.”

 _“We found him.”_ Angela's voice rang through.

“Good, don’t take your eyes off him.”

She glanced at Dean, who was looking at the stripper. She then looked at Kurt who was sitting across the table, also watching the stripper. _“Alright, my eyes are glued. Dean’s are… Look, Sammy, I gotta go.”_ She sighed. _“I, uh, I wanna make sure Dean doesn’t miss anything.”_ She said. She hung up as Dean handed a bill to the stripper.

~/~\~

Madison joined Sam in the living room, while he watched the full moon from the window.

“So, um… I’m gonna turn in,” she said.

“Okay, yeah. Well, I’ll be here.”

“Okay.”

“You know, if you hear anything, I mean if you wake up, just, just call out.” He fidgeted awkwardly.

“Okay.” She nodded.

“Okay.” He replied. She smiled uncomfortably and went to her bedroom. Sam sighed, frustrated with himself.

Later, Sam was watching TV in the living room. He glanced at Madison’s bedroom, but there was no movement. Meanwhile, Dean and Angela were standing on the street outside Kurt’s house. They saw a light turn on inside the house and they got their guns ready. Suddenly, they heard glass shattering. They looked back up to see the lights off in the house.

“What the--? Angela muttered.

They ran into the house and burst through the door. They entered one of the rooms and saw the werewolf hovering over Kurt’s mauled body. It turned towards them. The werewolf was Madison. Though she still looked human, her eyes had turned an electric blue, and her teeth had turned into bloody fangs. She growled and ran towards Dean and Angela, pushing them both into the wall. Dean cut her arm with his knife, causing her to jump out the window and leave.


	18. Heart Part 2

Later that morning, Sam was still at Madison’s apartment. He answered his ringing cell phone.

“Dean, are you and Angie okay?” Sam asked.

 _“Yeah, now that we’re conscious,”_ Dean said. _“The werewolf knocked us out. Sam, it’s Madison.”_

“What?”

 _“Yeah, awesome job of keeping an eye on her,”_ Dean commented sarcastically.

Sam entered Madison’s bedroom to see that she was sound asleep. “Dean, I’ve been here the whole time. She’s in bed, asleep.”

_“Well, she wasn’t an hour ago. Check her right arm below her elbow. I nicked her with a silver knife.”_

Sam hung up while Madison rolled over and woke up.

“Morning.” She mumbled. She sat up and noticed that she was naked, covered only by her bedsheets. Sam saw the wound on her arm. “Um… where are my pajamas?” she asked. Sam, upset, left the bedroom. “Sam? What’s going on? Where are you going?”

She followed him to the living room, where he was locking the front door.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He replied. “And neither are you.”

~/~\~

Later, Madison was seated in a chair, with her wrists bound. Sam was standing in front of her with a gun.

“You’re psychotic.” Madison glared. “The whole ‘I’m a cop’ trip, God, I am so stupid.”

“Well, I guess neither of us are who we said we were, huh?” Sam asked.

“Sam, you’re _sick_ , okay? You’re imagining things. Monsters don’t exist, not really.”

“You know what? Save the act.” He glared.

Madison started crying. “It’s not an act! I am not a werewolf! There’s no such thing! It’s made up, all right? They’re not real! You know they’re not real!”

“No?” Sam asked. He pointed to her wound. “Then where did that come from?”

“I don’t know! Sam, God, you need help. Please, don’t do something that you’re gonna regret. I’m not what you think I am. I’m not.”

Sam, visibly upset, heard knocking at the door. He opened it to see Dean and Angela, who entered and smirked at Madison.

“How you doin’?” Dean asked. “Our heads feel great, thanks.” He said, gesturing to himself and Angela.

“We’ve gotta talk.” Sam pulled Dean and Angela into another room. “She says she was no idea what I’m talking about.”

“Sam…” Angela whispered.

“She’s lying,” Dean said.

“Or maybe she really doesn’t know she’s changing, you know? Maybe, maybe when the creature takes over, she blacks out.” Sam said.

Dean deadpanned. “Like a really hot Incredible Hulk. Come on, dude, she ganked her boss and her ex-boyfriend. That doesn’t sound rash and unconscious.”

“Yeah, but what if it was, guys? I mean, what if some animal part of her brain saw both those guys as threats. Hell, the cop, too.”

“What are you, the Dog Whisperer now?” Dean asked.

“Look, guys, I just… I don’t know, there, there was something in her eyes.”

“Yeah, she’s killing people!” Angela replied.

“But if she has no control over it-

“Exactly,” Dean said. “She can’t control it. Even if she’s telling the truth, it’s not gonna change anything.”

“I’m not putting a bullet through some girl’s chest who has no idea what’s happening,” Sam replied.

“Sam, she’s a monster, and you’re feeling _sorry_ for her?” Dean asked.

“Maybe I understand her.” Sam mumbled and glanced at Angela. “And maybe you do too…” he added. “Look, there might be another way we can get the job done without having to waste her.”

“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?” Dean frowned.

Sam flipped through the journal. “Dad’s theory, ‘lycanthropy might have a cure if you kill the werewolf who bit you, severing the bloodline.”

“Might have a cure. Meaning ‘who the hell knows?’” Dean replied.

“It’s worth a shot,” Sam said. He looked at Angela. “What do you think?”

She sighed and nodded. “Yeah, we can try it.”

“We don’t even know where to start looking, all right? I mean, the puppy that bit her could be anyone, anywhere. It could’ve been years ago.” Dean said.

Sam realized something. “No. I don’t think so.”

He led Dean and Angela back into the living room, where Madison was still seated.

“Madison, when were you mugged?” Sam asked. “Please. It’s important, all right? Just answer the question.”

“About a month ago.”

“Did you see the guy?” Angela asked.

“No. He grabbed me from behind.”

“Did he bite you?” Sam asked.

Madison paused. “How did you know that?”

“Where?” Sam asked.

“On the back of my neck.” She said.

Sam set the gun down and brushed her hair away, exposing a scarred lump the size of a golf ball on her neck.

“Oh, that’s just a love bite,” Dean said. “Believe me, that could have been a lot worse. Where were you at the time?”

“Walking home from a friend’s loft.”

“Let me guess,” Angela said. “Not too far from Hunter’s Point?”

Madison just nodded. Sam took Angela and Dean back into the other room, closing the door.

“The same place where those other murders happened,” Sam said. “I’m telling you, it’s a werewolf’s hunting grounds.”

“Maybe, but that doesn’t mean it’s gonna be out there tonight.”

“It’s the right time of the lunar cycle.” Angela shrugged.

“Look, I know it’s a long shot,” Sam said.

“Hey, you’re forgetting something,” Dean said. “Maddie’s probably gonna turn soon, all right? We can’t just let her take off to an all-you-can-eat-buffet.”

“I’ll stay with her,” Sam said.

“And if she busts loose?” Angela asked. She didn’t get a response. “Sam?” she asked softly.

“I’ll do it.” He whispered.

“Sam,” Dean said.

“I’ll shoot her, all right? But guys, I need you to go out there. At least go look for the thing. Guys, please. We can save this girl.” Sam replied.

“Fine,” Dean said after a pause. He took Angela and left.

Sam rejoined Madison, who was still crying.

“Please. Just let me go.” She begged.

Sam looked at her sympathetically and sat in front of her. “Look… I know you’re scared. I also know that there’s no way in hell you’re gonna believe me. But I’m doing this because I’m trying to help you.” He said. “I’m not gonna lie, all right, the odds aren’t exactly in our favor. But if this goes the way I pray it does… I’ll untie you, and I’ll walk out that door and I’ll never come back. You’ll live the rest of your life. And I’ll just be a bad memory.

~/~\~

Sam was watching the full moon while Madison sat in the chair. Suddenly, her fingernails grew, stretching into claws. Her eyes turned bright blue and she bared her fangs. Sam turned just as she broke loose from the chair. She knocked him to the ground, but he quickly got up, aiming his gun.

~/~\~

Sam kept his gun aimed at Madison. Just as she lunged at him, he moved out of the way, forcing her into her bedroom. He moved the entertainment center in front of the door, trapping her inside.

~/~\~

The werewolf caught up with the hooker, dragging her across the pavement.

“Hey!” Angela yelled.

The werewolf looked up just as Dean shot him. It was revealed that the werewolf was Madison’s neighbor, Glen. The woman stood up, frightened, and glanced at Dean and Angela before running away.

“Hey, don’t mention it!” he yelled.

They crouched next to Glen, who was coughing and choking. His mouth was covered in blood. After a moment, his fangs retracted, and he returned to normal.

“What happened? Where am I? Help, help me. Oh, God. Oh my God.”

“All right, easy, Glen,” Angela said. “Just take it easy.”

They watched as Glen died, his eyes glazing over.

~/~\~

Madison woke up as Sam opened the bedroom door.

“It should be over now. You’ll never see me again.” Sam said.

Standing, Madison surveyed the room. Furniture was overturned, and there were claw marks covering every inch of the wall. When she turned around, Sam was gone.

~/~\~

The Impala was parked in front of her apartment.

“It was sort of sad, actually,” Dean said. “Glen had no clue what was going on. Hey, why do you think he turned Madison instead of just killing her in the first place?”

“I don’t know. I mean, he kind of seemed to have a thing for her.” Sam replied.

“Maybe his primal instinct did, too,” Dean said. “Maybe he was looking for a little, uh, hot breeding action.”

“Yeah. Something like that.”

“So?” Angela asked from the backseat.

“So what?” Sam replied.

“Speaking of Madison…” Dean said.

“Oh, whatever.” Sam shrugged.

“Don’t ‘whatever’ us, Sam, you like her,” Angela mumbled.

Dean glanced at Angela sympathetically. “Maybe, uh--

“Guys, she thought I was a stark-raving lunatic,” Sam scoffed.

“You saved her life,” Angela replied.

“Yeah, but she doesn’t know that,” Sam muttered.

Madison appeared at the window. “You know, for a stake-out, your car’s a bit conspicuous. What are you still doing here?”

“Honestly? Uh, we’re pretty sure you’re not gonna turn tonight, but we’ve gotta be a hundred percent, so… you know, we’re lurking.” Dean replied.

“I know this sounds crazy,” Sam said.

“Sure does. Well, if we’re gonna wait it out… we might as well do it together.”

~/~\~

She let the three hunters in.

“You were telling the truth, weren’t you?” she asked. “About everything. What you did, it was to help me.”

“Yeah.” Sam nodded.

“I did all of those horrible things… when I turned.”

“You didn’t know,” Sam replied.

She paused. “So, when will we know for sure? Moonrise?”

“No, I don’t think so. You turned in the middle of the night last night.” Angela said. “I think we’ve gotta hang in until sun-up.”

“Well, it looks like we’ve got ourselves a few hours to kill. Poker, anyone?” Dean suggested.

Later, the four of them watched as the sun sank and the moon rose. Dean lied his gun on the table. Angela eyed it and Sam and Madison watched from the couch.

“Oh, no, you guys talk,” Dean said.

A few hours later, they watched from the window as the sun rose.

“Does… does this mean it worked?” Madison asked.

“Yeah,” Sam said in relief. “I think so.”

“Oh, God, thank you. Thank you so much.” She hugged Sam. Angela swallowed thickly and Dean cleared his throat, and they pulled away. “You, too, Dean. And you too Angela. Thank you.”

Angela just smiled slightly.

“Aw, don’t mention it,” Dean said. “So, Angie and I are gonna head back to the hotel and… watch a movie or something.” He said. He left the apartment with Angie, slinging an arm around her shoulder. “Like I said, don’t give up kiddo. You never know what’ll happen.” He whispered to her as they left.

“That was smooth,” Madison chuckled.

“He means well, and so does Angie, but…”

“You mean, they think you’re gonna get laid.”

“Look, I-

“It’s okay.”

“No. I know I scared the crap out of you, all right? I mean, I tied you to a chair.”

“That’s right up there with me scratching up your face.”

“There’s just no way we could go back, you know? Before it happened.”

“You’re right. There’s just no way.” Madison nodded.

Sam shook his head. Then, after a moment, Madison gave in and kissed him. Sam immediately responded, pushing her against the wall. They stripped each other of their clothes and made their way to the bedroom, falling back onto the bed. Throughout the night they continued to make passionate love, letting go all they had been holding back. Hours later, they fell asleep in each other’s arms, completely content.

The next morning, Sam woke up and looked around. He heard a growl and turned to see Madison, who has turned into her werewolf form, eyes blue and fangs bared. Before Sam could catch her, she jumped out the window, leaving him stunned.

~/~\~

Sam ran down the hall to Dean and Angela’s room, pounding on the door. Angela answered.

“She turned.” He said breathlessly.

“What?” Angela frowned.

“I couldn’t grab her in time.”

“We’ll find her, Sammy,” Dean said.

~/~\~

“I already called Bobby,” Sam said. “He doesn’t know anything. Except he knew severing the bloodline wouldn’t work. That’s everyone. They all say it’s impossible to reverse it.”

“How come she didn’t turn when we were with her?” Dean asked.

“Dean-

“So, what, you put her to bed then she wolfed out? Maybe she’s gotta be asleep to turn.”

“What the hell does it matter, Dean? Look, we’ve gotta find some way to help her, some legend we missed or something.”

“If there was, don’t you think someone we know would’ve known it?”

“Well, then we have to look harder until we find something.”

“Sammy, I don’t think we’ve got a choice here anymore,” Angela said sadly.

“What? Angie, no, no don’t say that…” he breathed.

“I hate to say it,” Dean said. “She’s a sweet girl, but part of her is--

“Evil?”

“Yeah.” Dean nodded.

“Yeah, but that’s what they say about me and Angie, Dean,” Sam replied. “So, us you won’t kill, but her you’re gonna blow away?” he asked as his phone rang.

 _“Sam?”_ Madison asked.

“Madison, where are you?”

 _“I don’t, I don’t, I don’t know where I am.”_ She said from a phone booth.

“Well, do you see any street signs?”

_“Um… yeah, yeah, Middle Point.”_

“All right, hold on, Maddie. We’re coming to get you, just stay where you are.”

~/~\~

The four of them walked into Madison’s living room. The gun was sitting on the table.

“I don’t remember anything. I probably killed someone last night, didn’t I?”

“There’s no way to know yet,” Angela whispered.

“Is there something else we can try to make it go away?”

“We’ll find something,” Sam said. “I mean, there’s gotta be some answer, somewhere.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Dean said. “Madison, you deserve to know. We’ve scoured every source. There’s just no cure.”

She looked at Sam. “Is, is he right?”

Sam stood and turned away.

“Well, we could lock you up at night, but… when you bust out, and some night you will, someone else dies. We’re sorry. We are.” Angela said.

Madison started crying. “So, I guess that’s all there is to it, then.”

“Stop it,” Sam said. “Don’t talk like that.”

“Sam, I don’t wanna hurt anyone else. I don’t wanna hurt you.” She grabbed the gun and brought it to him.

“Put that down.” He said.

“I can’t do it myself. I need you to help me.”

“Madison, no,” he replied.

“Sam… I’m a monster.”

“You don’t have to be. We can find a way, all right? I can. I’m gonna save you.”

She cried harder. “You tried. I know you tried. But this is all there is left. Help me, Sam. I want you to do it. I want it to be you.”

“I can’t.”

“I don’t wanna die. I don’t. But I can’t live like this. This is the way you can save me. _Please._ I’m asking you to save me.”

Sam shook his head. Dean and Angela walked over to them and Dean carefully took the gun from Madison. Angela and Dean followed Sam into another room.

“Sam. I am so sorry,” Angela whispered.

He had tears in his eyes. “No, you’re right. She’s right.”

“Sammy, I got this one. I’ll do it.” Dean said.

“She asked me to.”

“You don’t have to,” Angela whispered,

“Yes, I do. Please.” He held his hand out for the gun, tears streaming down his face. Dean handed it to him. “Just wait here.”

He glanced back at Dean and Angela, shaking, before heading back into the living room. Dean shed a single tear, and Angela was fighting back hers. They flinched as they heard a single gunshot from the next room.


	19. Hollywood Babylon Part 1

Sam, Dean, and Angela were taking part in the trolley tour of the studio, passing by movie and television sets.

“First opened in 1927, the lot has been in continuous operation for eight decades.” The tour guide said.

Dean turned to a kid next to him, eating ice cream. “Hey, you know this is where they filmed Creepshow?”

The boy ignored just him.

“Now, to the right, here is Stars Hollow.” The tour guide said. “It’s the setting for the television series, Gilmore Girls. And if we’re lucky, we might even catch one of the show’s stars.”

Sam, looking uncomfortable, turned to Dean and Angela. “Come on.”

“Let’s finish the tour!” Dean replied.

Angela just rolled her eyes and smiled slightly. “Let’s go.” 

“Dean!” Sam yelled.

Dean hopped off the trolley, and they continued walking around the lot.

“Sammy, Angie, check it out, it’s Matt Damon!” Dean grinned.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s not Matt Damon,” Angela replied.

“No, it is,” Dean said.

“Well, Matt Damon just picked up a broom and started sweeping,” Sam said.

“Yeah, well, he’s probably researching a role or something.” Dean shrugged.

“I don’t think so,” Angela said. She noticed a sign. “Hey, this way. I think Stage 9 is over here.”

“Come on, guys, let’s keep going this way.” Dean urged.

“No, come on, we’ve gotta work,” Sam replied. Dean sighed. “Dude, you wanted to come to L.A,” Sam said.

“Yeah, for a vacation. I mean, swimming pools and movie stars, not to work.”

“This seem like swimming pool weather to you, Dean?” Angela asked.

“I mean, it’s practically Canadian,” Sam commented.

“Yeah. I just figured that after everything that happened with Madison, you could use a little R-and-R, that’s all.” Dean said to Sam.

“Well, maybe I wanna work, Dean,” Sam said. “Maybe it keeps my mind off things.”

“Okay, okay.” Dean nodded. “All right. So, this crew guy, he died on set?”

“Yeah, rumors spreading like wildfire online saying the set’s haunted,” Angela replied.

“Like Poltergeist?” Dean asked.

“It could be a poltergeist.” Sam shrugged.

“No, no. Like the movie Poltergeist.” Dean said. Sam and Angela shrugged. “You two know nothing of your cultural heritage, do you? It was rumored that the set of Poltergeist was cursed. That they used real human bones as props. And, like, at least three of the actors died in it.”

“Yeah, it might be something like that.” Sam nodded.

“All right, so this crew guy, what’s his name?” Dean asked.

“Frank Jaffey,” Angela answered.

“Frank Jaffey, he got a death certificate or a coroner’s report or anything?” Dean asked.

“Well, no,” Sam said. “But it is L.A., you know? It might not even be his real name. But the girl who found him said she saw something, a vanishing figure.”

“What’s the girl’s name?” Dean asked.

“Tara Benchley,” Angela said.

“Whoa, whoa, Tara Benchley?” Dean asked. “From FeardotCom and Ghost Ship, Tara Benchley?”

“So now, you’re suddenly on board?” Sam raised a brow.

Dean became serious. “Oh, I mean, I’m just a fan of her work. She’s very good.” 

~/~\~

One of the studios execs for the movie, Brad Redding, was talking to McG and the producer, Jay Wiley.”

“No, look, don’t get me wrong,” Brad said. “Everyone at the studio loves the dailies, myself included. We were just wondering if it could be… you know, a little brighter.”

“Brighter?” Jay asked.

“Yeah, Jay. More color. McG, you know what I’m saying, you’re the master of that stuff.”

“Brad, this is a horror movie,” McG replied.

“And who says horror has to be dark? It’s sort of depressing, don’t you think?” Brad asked. He noticed Sam, Dean, and Angela enter the set. “Uh, excuse me, Green Shirt Guy?” Brad asked. Dean pointed to himself. “Yeah, you. Come here.”

Dean exchanged a look with Sam and Angela and walked over to Brad.

“Can you get me a smoothie from Kraft?” Brad asked.

“You want a what from who?” Dean asked.

Brad scoffed. “You are a P.A.? This is what you do?”

Angela quickly walked over to ‘save’ Dean. “Yeah, yeah… uh, one smoothie coming right up.” 

“Thanks, sweetheart,” Brad said as he and the other execs walked away.

“What’s a P.A.?” Dean asked.

“I think they’re kind of like slaves,” Sam said.

They gave Brad a thumbs-up.

“They’ll let anybody in this business, huh?” Brad asked.

~/~\~

Later, the cast and crew were getting ready to resume shooting. Dean set down the tray of smoothies he had gotten and started to go up the stairs to the scaffolding. Suddenly, the lights on set went down, and the actors began their take.

“Why don’t we take it from, ‘Come on, it’ll be fun.’ And, action!” McG said.

The actors were now standing inside the abandoned house, and ‘Wendy’, played by Tara, had a book open in front of her.

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Tara said to her friends.

She began reading from the book in very choppy Latin. While she was doing so, Dean made his way up the scaffolding. He took out his EMF meter and scanned the area, but nothing happened. Meanwhile, Tara was trying her best to read the Latin, but was barely getting through it.

“Maybe we’ll finish this up tomorrow,” McG said.

Tara broke character. “Oh my God, I hate you so much right now.”

“Cut!” McG yelled. The cast and crew all began laughing. “Very nice.” 

~/~\~

A few minutes later, Sam and Angela joined Dean at the Kraft services table.

“So?” Angela and Sam asked.

“No EMF anywhere,” Dean said.

“Great. So, what you this?” Sam replied.

“Well, I think being a P.A. sucks. But the food these people get, are you kidding me? Look at these things.” He picked up a sandwich. “They’re like miniature Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. They’re delicious.” He held one of them out to Sam.

“Maybe later,” Sam said.

Dean turned to Angela.

“No thanks.” She replied.

Dean shrugged and took a huge bite. “What’d you two find out about the dead crew guy?”

“Frank Jaffey was just filling in for the day. Nobody here knew him or where he lived or anything.” Angela said.

“Oh, great. So you found out about as much as I did.” Dean said.

“No, not quite- Sam started.

Walter approached. “Hey, guys.” 

“Oh, hey,” Dean replied. He watched Walter walk away with a sandwich. “They’re wonderful!”

“Listen, Angie did dig up some stuff about Stage 9’s history,” Sam said.

“Yeah?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, four people died messy here over the past eighty years,” Angela said. “Two suicides and two fatal accidents.”

“Any one of those could be a vengeful spirit,” Dean said.

“Yeah. We’ve just gotta narrow it down more.” Sam replied.

Dean smiled as he noticed Tara walk onto the set. “I’ll get right on that.” He said, fixated by her. He walked over to Tara, grabbing a call sheet from one of the set workers as he walked by. Nervously, he stepped up to Tara. “Are you supposed to get one of these?”

She looked up at him and smiled, noticing his good looks.

“I don’t really know what I’m doing,” Dean admitted.

“First day?” she asked.

“Yeah. My big break.” Dean smiled, earning a laugh from Tara. “You know, I know it’s really uncool to say this, but I’m a big fan. I loved you in Boogeyman.”

“Oh, God, what a terrible script.” She replied. “But thank you.”

“Yeah.” Dean nodded. He paused. “You found him, right? The dead guy?” he asked. She went quiet and looked away. “I’m sorry, you probably don’t even wanna talk about this.”

“No, no, actually.” She replied. “It’s okay. Nobody around here really brings it up much. I think they’re all scared I’m gonna have some kind of breakdown.”

“That must have been awful,” Dean said. “What happened?”

“It was horrible. There was all this blood coming from his eyes and from his mouth. And, uh… I saw this, um…” she stopped, embarrassed.

“What?” Dean asked.

“I saw this shape. To tell you the truth, I don’t actually know what I saw. I just know I saw it.”

Walter approached and handed her a Snapple. “Here you go, Tara.”

“Thanks, Walter.” She said as he walked away.

“So, this crew guy, Frank, did you know him?” Dean asked.

“No, not that well.”

“It’s funny, it’s like no one around here actually knew who he was,” Dean said.

“I’ve got his picture.”

“You do?” he asked.

She smiled. “Yeah. I take Polaroids of all the crew. It’s just one of those things you do to kill time on set.” She flipped through a binder until she found his picture. “Right there.”

Dean looked at it closely and noticed something. “Son of a bitch.”

~/~\~

There was a knock on the door. A man opened it to see Sam, Angela, and Dean outside.

“Gerard St. James?” Dean asked.

The man, who looked exactly like Frank nodded. “Yes.”

“You’re still alive. And you’re not Frank Jaffey.” Angela said.

“Uh, no.”

“You were Desert Soldier Number Four in Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn?”Dean replied.

“I was.” He nodded.

“I knew I recognized you.” He said. “I am a huge fan. I mean your turn as a tractor crash victim in Critters 3?” Dean added.

“Critters 3!”

“Wow. Yeah.” Dean nodded.

“Well, please, come in.”

They entered the house while Gerard brought them coffee. There were pictures lining the walls of Gerard, merely an actor, portraying various characters.

“Yeah, it was the producers. They brought me up for the day to play Frank.” Gerard said.

“Just to fake your death?” Dean asked.

“Well, rumors of a haunted film set, free publicity, especially when you’re making a horror movie. It’s already all over the internet.”

“Yeah. We know.” Sam replied.

“These days, it’s all about new media, building buzz. They say I’m the new Lonely Girl.”

“Who?” Dean asked.

“And the ghost Tara saw?” Angela asked.

“Projected on a screen of diffusion.”

“Isn’t that kind of cruel?” Dean asked. “Messing with their heads like that?”

“Hey, I just play the part.” He defended. “I don’t write the script. Speaking of, I’m playing Willy in a dinner theatre production of Salesman at Costa Mesa, all next month.” He handed Dean a flyer. “You get a free pepper steak with the coupon.”

“Now, wait a second. If you’re seen in public, won’t that ruin the hoax?” Dean asked.

“Oh, please. Frank and Willy? Totally different characters.”

“You know what?” Angela replied. “Thanks very much, Mr. St. James. It was just nagging at us. But we’re very glad… you know, you’re alive and well.”

“Absolutely,” Dean said. Gerard shook their hands. “Hey, I wanted to ask you… what was it like working with Richard Moll?” Dean asked. He looked at a confused Sam and Angela. “Metalstorm. He was Hurok, King of the Cyclops people.”

“Gentlemen’s gentlemen,” Gerard replied.

“Yeah?” Dean asked. He chucked, brandishing the theatre coupon. “All right. Pepper steak.”

~/~\~

The actors were filming once again, where they had left off the previous day. Tara’s character, ‘Wendy’, entered the abandoned house.

“Wendy?” Mitch asked.

“Oh, Mitch! God, you’re alive!”

“You can’t get rid of me that easy.”

“Rumble, rumble, rumble!” McG said.

“Salt. Okay, we need salt.” Wendy said. “I read in that book that it keeps ghosts away.”

“Kendra, Logan, you guys check the back.”

Off-camera, Marty began whispering to the producer, Jay.

“Jay, the poor bastard killed himself,” Marty said. “Like, for real. Shouldn’t we shut it down or something?”

“We had a moment of silence for him at breakfast. He was just a studio guy.” Jay said.

“Shh!” McG said.

“I love you,” Wendy said to Mitch.

“I know.” He replied. He shined the flashlight directly in her face. He broke character. “Sorry.”

Tara broke character. “Can we cut or something?”

“Uh… yeah, cut,” McG said. “Cut!”

“That’s a cut!” Dean said, wearing a headset. He resumed eating his taquito.

McG approached Tara. “Hey, what’s up?”

“I’m sorry. I’m just a little upset.” She sighed.

“Well, with everything that’s been going on around here, who can blame you?”

“I just can’t wrap my head around the dialogue, you know? Salt? Doesn’t that sound silly? I mean, why would a ghost be afraid of salt?”

Dean smirked.

“Okay, um… Marty?” McG asked.

“Yo.”

“What do you think?”

“Not married to salt, what do you want? We still sticking with condiments?”

“It just sounds different, not better. What else would a ghost be scared of?”

Walter stood next to Dean. “Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“What would a ghost be scared of?” Marty asked Jay. “Maybe shotguns.”

“Okay, that makes even less sense than salt,” McG said.

“These people are idiots,” Walter said, leaving.

Sam and Angela approached Dean.

“Walter’s a little testy for a P.A., huh?” Dean asked.

“How’s it going in here?” Angela asked.

“It is going really good, guys. Tara’s really stepped up her performance. I think it’s probably from all the sense memory stuff she’s drawing on.”

“Sense memory?” Sam raised a brow.

“Yeah.” Dean nodded.

“Dean, you know when I ask how it’s going in here, I’m talking about the case, right?” Angela replied. “We don’t really work here. You know, I thought you hated being a P.A.”

“I don’t know.” Dean shrugged. “It’s not so bad. I kind of feel like part of the team, you know?” he held out his plate to Angela and Sam. “Taquito? They’re wonderful.”

“No.” Angela and Sam replied.

“Um… listen, we conned our way into the morgue,” Sam said.

“And?” Dean asked.

“News reports were right: Brad’s a doornail, no question,” Angela said.

“Copy that,” Dean said into his headset. He looked at Angela. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Copy that?” Angela asked.

“What did you say?” Dean asked.

“The news reports were right. Brad’s a doornail- 

“They are aware,” Dean said into his headset.

“Who’s aware?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying?” he asked Angela again.

“Uh… the newspaper’s right: Brad’s a doornail, no question about it,” Angela repeated.

“I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t skip town,” Dean said.

“Yeah.” Angela and Sam nodded.

“Oh, come here. I want you two to hear something.” Dean said. “Copy that. On my way.” Dean said into the headset. He led Sam and Angela over to the sound guy, Dave.

“Hey, Dave. Can you play them that thing you were playing me earlier?”

“Sure,” Dave replied.

He handed a pair of headphones to Angela and Sam.

“Thanks.” They said.

They listened to the audio of one of the scenes in the movie. Midway through the dialogue, the sound became staticky and distorted. Sam and Angela exchanged a look with Dean.


	20. Hollywood Babylon Part 2

“EVP,” Sam said.

“From the night of Brad’s stage dive,” Dean added. “All of a sudden, I’m getting electromagnetic readings up the wazoo. For some reason, it’s a legit haunting now.”

“Well, who’s the ghost, Dean?” Angela asked. “What’s it want?”

“I don’t know.” Dean shrugged. “I think we should take a look at Brad’s death scene.”

Outside in the lot, Dean led Sam and Angela to one of the trailers. Once inside, Dean popped a DVD into the television.

“Hey, where’d you get this DVD?” Angela asked.

“They’re called dailies. I got it from Cindy.” Dean replied. “She’s kind of got this on-and-off thing going with Drew. He dubbed me and extra copy.”

They watched the footage of the scene, complete with Brad’s surprise entrance.

“All right, here’s where the guy fell through the roof,” Dean pointed out.

“Right.” Angela and Sam nodded simultaneously.

“All right, here we go,” Dean replied.

 _“They must have super-hearing,”_ Mitch said from the tape.

Suddenly, Brad fell through the ceiling of the set, hanging by a noose.

“Hey, wait, go back, go back.” Angela and Sam said quickly, Dean rewinding the tape. “Right after. Right af- yeah right. Wait. There.” 

Dean paused the frame. On the screen, there was a completely different set and standing in the far corner was the ghostly white woman who led Brad to his death.

“It’s like Three Men and a Baby all over again,” Dean muttered, earning confused looks from Sam and Angela. “Selleck, Danson, and Guttenberg. And… I don’t know who played the baby.”

“What’s your point?” Angela asked.

“There’s a scene in the movie where people say that the camera caught a ghost on film,” Dean replied. “Apparently, in the background of one of the scenes, there was this boy that nobody remembers from set. Spirit photography.”

Sam looked at the woman. “I’ve seen her before.”

~/~\~

Dean, headset in place, was sitting with Sam and Angela at a table. Sam handed him a print-out of an article.

“Here. Check this out.” Sam said.

“Yeah, go for Ozzy,” Dean said into the headset. “No, I don’t have a 20 on Tara, I think she’s 10-100.” He added. “Okay, copy that.” He replied before looking at Sam. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

“Elise Drummond, starlet back in the thirties. Had an affair with a studio exec.” Sam replied. “He uses her up, fires her, leaves her destitute, so Elise hangs herself from Stage 9’s rafters, right into a scene they’re shooting.”

“Just like our man, Brad,” Dean said. “So, what, she’s got it in for the studio brass?”

“Possibly.” Angela shrugged. “I mean, it’s a motive. And Brad’s death matches hers exactly.”

“We’re digging tonight, aren’t we?” Dean asked with a sigh.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were walking through, shovels in hand.

“Which way?” Sam asked.

“Uh… over here,” Dean said, reading a map. “Hey.”

“Yeah?” Sam and Angela asked.

Dean gestured to a memorial for Humpty Dumpty. “This map is totally worth five bucks! Hey, we’ve gotta go check out Johnny Ramone’s grave when we’re done here.”

“You wanna dig him up, too?” Angela raised a brow.

“Bite your tongue, heathen!” Dean replied. as they passed another memorial. “Oh, that’s cool.”

“You know, Dean, what I don’t get is why now?” Sam asked. “I mean, after seventy-five years, Elise Drummond goes homicidal, you know? Why this movie?”

“Well, maybe she’s mad they’re making a scary ghost flick.” Dean shrugged.

“Come on, is it _really_ that scary?” Angela asked.

“Here we go,” Dean said.

They reached Elise’s headstone.

“Yep. All right.” Sam muttered.

“Yahtzee.” Dean pursed his lips.

They started digging.

~/~\~

They finished digging and opened the coffin to see Elise’s corpse. They poured salt over the bones and burned them.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela watched as the police examined the crime scene where Jay was killed.

“Run-in with a giant fan. Same thing happened to an electrician back in ’66, a guy named Billy Beard.” Angela said.

“What the hell, guys?” Dean muttered.

“I don’t know.” Sam shrugged. “Doesn’t seem like Elise this time, either. It’s not her M.O.”

“No, we already torched her. So, what, are we dealing with another ghost?” Dean questioned.

“Maybe.” Sam and Angela shrugged.

“Yeah, but these things don’t usually tag-team,” Dean muttered.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were back inside, watching more of the dailies. ‘Wendy’ was reading in Latin when she was interrupted by ‘Kendra’.

“Wendy, don’t.”

“What are you, afraid of ghosts?” Wendy asked. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Dean entered. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Angela said. “So, you find out where the electrician’s buried?”

“He wasn’t. Billy Beard was cremated.” Dean said.

“Great. Now what?” Sam asked.

“No idea.” Dean shrugged. “Any more ghost cameos in the dailies?”

“Not in the first six hours,” Angela replied. “You know, maybe the spirits are trying to shut down the movie because they think it sucks. Because, I mean, it kind of does.” She said, earning a laugh from Sam.

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Wendy said. She continued reading in Latin. Sam suddenly noticed something and rewound. He sat up and listened closely to the Latin. Realization dawned on Angela.

“Oh my God…” Angela muttered.

“Listen to the invocation. Guys, that’s the real deal, a necromantic summoning ritual.” Sam said. “What the hell is that doing in a Hollywood movie?”

~/~\~

Marty, the writer, was on the phone in his office.

“No, dude, we’re down for a few days, force majeure.” He said into the phone. “Yeah. It’s cool, though. Gives me time to pitch that time-travel thing.” He added. “Yeah. All right, get back to me on this, all right? Seriously. No, I’m serious. Dude, are you serious? Cause I’m serious.” He said. He noticed Sam, Dean, and Angela walk in. “All right. Cool.” He hung up. “Guys, we’re all shut down. What are you still doing here?”

“Yeah, uh…. Sorry, man.” Sam replied. “We couldn’t help ourselves. We just had to tell you that we read the script.”

“And?” Marty asked.

“Yeah. Uh… it’s awesome.” Angela said.

“Awesome.” Dean nodded.

“Really awesome,” Sam smiled.

“I know, it’s pretty rockin’, right?” Marty asked. “I’m glad you guys like it.”

“Yeah, I really liked all the attention to detail,” Angela replied.

“Sweetheart, right on, that’s my thing.” He said while she tried not to cringe at the nickname. “Color me guilty, but that is me. I’m a total detail buff.”

“No, we can tell,” Sam replied. “I mean, the way you worked in all those Enochian summoning rituals and all the authentic language.”

Marty’s smile faded. “What, you mean that Latin crap?” he asked. “No, man, that’s Walter. Walter Dixon, the original writer. You like that crap?”

“Wait, ‘Walter the P.A.’ Walter?” Dean asked.

“No, he’s not a P.A.” Marty said. “He’s got a clause in his contract that allows him to come on set.”

“But he wrote the invocations?” Dean asked.

“He wrote a whack-job screenplay. There’s no pace, there’s no love interest, it’s all wackadoo exposition. I had to cut like, ninety perfect of it to make it readable, the other ten percent to make it good.”

~/~\~

The three were reading Walter’s screenplay, _Lord of the Dead_.

“Should’ve kept Walter’s original script,” Dean said. “It’s actually pretty good.”

“Yeah,” Sam replied. “And it reads like a how-to manual of conjuration, like a textbook on how to summon ghosts and get them to do whatever you want.”

“Yeah, like kill people,” Dean said.

“Yep,” Angela replied. “So, let’s say somewhere down the line, Walter learned some pretty black magic.”

“Yeah. And let’s say he’s pissed at these people for wrecking his movie.” Dean nodded.

“Motive and means.” Angela and Sam said.

“It’s worth checking out.” Dean shrugged.

~/~\~

Marty was walking among the forest scenery and spotted Walter. “So, you wanted to meet?” he asked, getting no response. “Hey, I’m a little busy here, buddy. I’m working on a script.”

“Oh, yeah. You guys worked a lot on it.” Walter replied.

“It needed work.” Marty shrugged. “Now, why couldn’t we have done this in my office?”

“You know, the history, the lore in my draft was completely accurate. We could’ve gotten it right for the first time in this whorehouse of a town.” Walter said. “But you tore it to shreds. You replaced it with cleavage and fart jokes. It was real.”

“Who gives a rat’s ass about ‘real’?” Marty scoffed. “We’re talking about ghosts here, Walter. There’s no such thing.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Martin.” He raised his hand, holding a talisman, and began chanting in Latin.

Marty rolled his eyes. “Okay, nutjob. End of meeting.” He turned around and came face-to-face with the same ghost that killed Jay. Screaming, he fell to the floor and began getting dragged towards the fans. “Oh, God, no! Please, no!”

“You ruined it, Martin! Everything I worked for!”

“Oh, God! Walter!” Martin cried.

“Now you’re gonna find out what being a ghost is really like.”

“Walter, please! Walter, help me!”

Just as he was inches away from the fan, a shotgun fired off, blasting the ghost away. Dean approached, weapon in hand, while Sam and Angela turned off the fan.

“You are one hell of a P.A.” Martin breathed.

“Yeah, I know,” Dean said.

“What are you doing?” Walter asked.

“We could ask you the same thing, Walter,” Angela said. Walter began climbing up the stairs to the scaffolding. “Raising these spirits from the dead?” she continued. “Making them murder for you? That’s playing with fire, Walter.”

“You don’t understand,” Walter argued.

“You know what? You’re right, we don’t understand.” Sam replied.

“Just… wait, look. You put your heart and soul into something, years of hard work. It’s years, and then they take it! And they crap all over it! And then they want you to smile and say, ‘Thank you’.”

“Walter, listen,” Sam said. “It’s just a movie. That’s it.”

Walter scoffed. “Look… I’ve got nothing against you, or your girlfriend, or whatever. You two aren’t part of this. Just please, please, just leave. But Martin’s gotta stay.”

“Sorry, can’t do that,” Dean shook his head. “It’s not that we like him or anything, it’s just a matter of principle.”

“Then I’m sorry, too,” Walter grumbled as he raised the talisman again.

“Walter,” Angela warned. “Walter, pl- don’t.”

Walyer began chanting. The set began to shake, and three ghosts appeared, including the man who murdered Jay.

“Sam! Angie!” Dean yelled. He raised his gun. The ghosts, all of whom were deformed in some way, began walking closer. “Come on, come on,” Dean muttered.

Suddenly, they disappeared. Then, out of nowhere, Sam and Angela were knocked to the floor, the ghosts were now invisible. Dean helped them up.

“Come on, come on! Move!” Dean yelled.

The three hunters and Marty began running away while the lights on set began firing off. The four of them ran into another building and shut the door behind them. Dean reloaded his gun.

“Come out to the coast! We’ll get together, have a few laughs!” Dean quoted Bruce Willis as ‘John Mclane’ from ‘Die Hard’ with the accent and all. He looked angry and then he turned around and realized that they have entered the abandoned house set, and they didn’t actually reach any real shelter. “Oh, man!”

“I can’t believe this,” Marty said. “Ghosts are real!”

“What makes you say that?” Angela asked sarcastically.

The looked around, ready to fight.

“But I don’t understand. How is Walter controlling them?” Marty asked.

“Probably that talisman,” Sam replied. Suddenly, he took out his cellphone.

“What are you doing?” Marty frowned.

“I mean, if film cameras pick these suckers up, then… maybe…” Sam used his cell phone camera to scan the room. He suddenly saw one of the ghosts a few feet away, heading straight for Dean. “Dean! Right there!” Sam pointed and Dean shot it. The ghost disappeared on the phone. “Got him. Hey! Right there!” he said, picking up another one.

Dean shot again. They then noticed Walter walking around the upper level. Sam handed his phone to Marty. “Here, you get the idea?”

“Yeah.”

“All right, you hold them off. Angie, come with me, we’re going after Walter.”

She nodded and left the set with him.

“I cannot believe there’s an afterlife,” Marty gaped in awe.

“Oh, there’s an afterlife, all right,” Dean replied. “But mostly, it’s a pain in the ass.”

Marty kept scanning the room with the phone.

“There!” Marty ducked to his left as Dean shot the ghost.

~/~\~

Walter left the set through the back exit and came face-to-face with Angela and Sam.

“It’s over, Walter,” Angela said. “Now give it to us.”

Walter threw the talisman on the ground, shattering it. “There, okay? Now no one can have it.”

“I wouldn’t have done that if I were you,” Sam warned.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Angela nodded.

“And why not?”

“Because you just freed them.” She whispered. “We can’t stop them now.” She added and leaned in close. “Walter, you brought them back, forced them to murder. They’re not gonna be very happy with you.” She said in a deadly calm voice.

Marty and Dean joined them outside.

“Yeah? So, why not?” Walter asked, backing away from Angela. He suddenly fell to the ground and began screaming in pain. Blood began to seep through his clothing. Marty raised the cell phone and saw all the ghosts tearing Walter apart.

~/~\~

The crew had resumed filming after the incident. ‘Kendra’ and ‘Mitch’ were now in the abandoned house. ‘Kendra’ was scanning the room with her cell phone, the same kind as Sam had.

“Oh, God.” She said. “Oh, God. There!”

‘Mitch’ shot. From the sidelines, McG was watching, excited.

“But I don’t understand. How can the spirits appear in the camera phone?” she asked.

“The video must pick up their frequencies in a way that our eyes can’t.” ‘Mitch’ said.

“Oh, God. Oh, God. Right there!”

‘Mitch’ shot again.

“Cut! Oh, print that one. That’s in the movie!” McG grinned. “Loved it, kids. Loved it.”

Marty, Sam, and Angela were also watching from the sidelines.

“You find out there’s an afterlife, and this is what you do with it?” Angela asked.

Marty grinned. “I needed a little jazz on the page.”

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were walking among the trailers.

“Back right before Walter died, I think you pretty much scared the crap outta him.” Sam laughed. “Scared me a bit, the way you were talking.”

Angela smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I might’ve gotten a bit carried away. But what can I say? The guy really pissed me off, Sam.” 

He nodded in agreement. “Have you noticed a lot of people thought we were a couple?” 

“A bit, yeah.” She nodded. “It’s a bit weird, but can’t say I mind.” She half-joked.

Sam chuckled slightly. “Yeah, me neither.”

When they passed Tara’s trailer, the door opened, and Dean came out, clearly disheveled. He smirked slightly.

Tara came outside as well, wearing a robe. “You’re one hell of a P.A.”

“Thank you.” Dean grinned.

She noticed Sam and Angela. “Hi.”

“God, I love this town,” Dean muttered.


	21. Folsom Prison Blues Part 1

Sam and Dean walked in through the door, Dean held a map, and flashlight and Sam held just a flashlight. Dean looked at the map.

“This way,” Dean said. They walked down the hallway.

“I hate this plan, Dean,” Sam replied. “And do we know how Angela fits into this?”

“Yeah, I got that the first ten times I heard it,” Dean rolled his eyes in annoyance. “And I’m sure she figured something out.”

“That’s reassuring,” Sam replied sarcastically.

He undid the lock on a glass expedition case. He took a decorated ax from the case. Dean was holding a hooked dagger from another case. Sam turned the ax around in his hands. There was a noise and Sam looked up. Dean looked back at Sam. Sam inclined his head and they put down the weapons and left.

Sam and Dean left the room and walked quickly towards the exit. They turned a corner and were met by two policemen.

“Freeze!” one cop shouted.

They turned back the other way, but two more policemen blocked their path.

“Don’t move!” another cop yelled.

They went down the last hallway open to them, and there was yet another pair of cops standing there.

“I said freeze!” the first cop yelled.

“Hold it right there!” the second said.

“Put your hands on your heads! Get down on your knees! Now!” the first shouted.

Sam and Dean complied, kneeling down. Two of the cops walked closer and handcuffed them. Dean smiled slightly, and Sam didn’t look pleased.

~/~\~

In the police station, Sam was standing in front of a mug shot board holding a sign that said ‘81A3826 Little Rock City Police Little Rock AR’. He reached about 6’5 on the board.

“Front.” The photographer said. The camera clicked. “To the right.” He instructed. The camera clicked again and Sam was now facing his right, looking broody.

Dean stood where Sam was, holding a similar sign. ‘183A3827 Little Rock City Police Little Rock AR’. He reached just under 6’3 and grinned.

“I call this one the Blue Steel,” Dean told the photographer as he posed for the camera.

“Yeah, that’s right.” The photographer replied. The camera clicked. “To the right.” He sighed heavily. The camera clicked again, and Dean faced the right. “All right, back to the lineup.”

“Wait, who looks better. Me or Nick Nolte?” Dean asked.

“Shut up.” The photographer replied.

~/~\~

Dean sat in an interrogation room. The door opened and two men entered, one of them being Agent Henriksen.

“Well, it’s about time,” Dean smirked. “I’ll have a cheeseburger. Extra onions.”

“You think you’re funny,” Henriksen glared.

“I think I’m adorable.” Dean smiled widely.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Dean,” Henriksen folded his arms across his chest. “I’m Special Agent Henriksen. This is my partner, Special Agent Reidy.”

Dean was still smiling but looked a bit worried. “Henriksen?” he asked. “Not the Milwaukee Agent Henriksen?”

“Live and in person.” He replied.

Dean gave a short laugh.

Henriksen pulled out a picture of Dean looking over his shoulder. “Oh, nice shot.” He tossed the picture on the table. “You can hang that up in your cell at Super Max.”

“All right, maybe we can just forget the cheeseburger, huh?” Dean replied.

“Oh, yeah.” Henriksen nodded. “Keep that game face on. Try and cover up how concerned you are. Read him the charges.” 

“Mail fraud, credit card fraud, grave desecration…”

“Skip to the good ones,” Henriksen interrupted.

“Armed robbery, kidnapping and, oh, three counts of first-degree murder.”

“And after Milwaukee, your brother and Angela are now suspects in a murder case themselves,” Henriksen explained. “I’d say for you three, screwed to hell is a major understatement.”

“Well, where there’s life there’s hope, huh?” Dean replied. “And you’re not gonna find Angie. She’s pretty good at keeping herself on the down-low.”

Henriksen made a noise of assent. “See? That’s what I kept thinking as I was searching for your asses all over hell and gone.” He leaned forward on the table, speaking softly. “Your dad taught you well. The way you cover your tracks and after Milwaukee the way you,” he whistled and moved his hand to the side, mimicking disappearing. “Vanished.” He finished his sentence. Dean laughed softly. “Near went nuts trying to find you. Ask him. And we’ll find her, don’t you worry.”

Reidy deadpanned. “He near went nuts.”

“And after all that, you get tripped up on a motion detector. Pretty rookie move. Gotta say I was… surprised.” Henriksen noted.

Dean was staring at the table when the door beside him opened. He looked at it, as did Henriksen and Reidy. In walked Public Defender Mara Daniels.

“Dean Winchester?” she asked.

“In the flesh.” He replied.

“And you are?” Henriksen asked.

“Mara Daniels, Public Defender’s office.” She shook hands with Dean. “I’ve been assigned you and your brother’s case.”

“Huh,” Dean mumbled.

“Are you Henriksen?” she asked.

“Yeah, and we’re not quite done here.” He squared his shoulders.

“Ah, yeah, you are.” She replied firmly. “And if you don’t mind, I would like to meet with my clients. Privately.”

Dean raised his eyebrows and smiled at Henriksen.

~/~\~

Mara Daniels, Sam, and Dean were sitting in the same room. Mara opened her suitcase.

“Unfortunately your arraignment on the breaking and entering charge won’t be until Tuesday,” Mara explained.

“And they’ll keep us in the county jail?” Dean asked.

“That’s right.” She nodded.

“Green River County Detention Center?” Sam asked.

“Yes.” She nodded. “And considering the charges you’re facing, no judge in his right mind is going to grant you bail.”

“Yeah, we figured that,” Dean said.

“And what about Angie?” Sam asked.

“Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do at the moment. And if they find her that’s a whole different story.” She shrugged. “Now, extradition papers have already been filed from five separate states. Missouri and Wisconsin being the biggest concern for you two, the bank robbery and the murder raps.”

“How long can we stall extradition?” Sam asked.

“A week, maybe less.” She replied.

Dean nodded. Sam raised his eyebrows at his brother.

~/~\~

Rear bus doors opened, revealing a shackled man, who got out. Following him was Dean, holding the chains attached to his wrists and feet. Sam followed.

“All right, let’s go.” A guard said. “Watch your step. Come on, keep moving.”

The prisoners walked past the front of the bus in a line and along the rec yard. Prisoners lined up against the fence and catcalled the new convicts. One of them pointed at Sam.

“You’re mine, baby!” he yelled.

“Don’t worry, Sam,” Dean smiled cheekily. “I promise I won’t trade you in for smokes.”

~/~\~

The new prisoners, flanked by two guards and each carrying blankets and a roll of toilet paper, walked down the hallway in one line. One of the guards unlocked a cell door. The first prisoner in line and Dean entered the cell.

“I call top bunk!” Dean smiled slightly.

Dean’s roommate scoffed and placed his things on the top bunk.

“Okay.” Dean nodded.

Dean turned and watched Sam walk into the cell across the hallway from his.

Sam nodded to his very large roommate, who stood slowly and glared at him. Sam’s eyes widened and he turned around. The cell doors closed on him and Dean as they stared at each other.

~/~\~

In the cell block hallway, the prisoners were lined up to be frisked by a guard and scanned with a metal-detecting rod by another. Dean and Sam were well down the line.

Dean spoke in a low voice to Sam, who was standing behind him. “My roommate doesn’t say much, how’s, yours?”

“Just keeps staring at me… in a way that makes me really uneasy,” Sam replied quietly.

“It sounds like you’re making new friends,” Dean said.

“Dean, this is, without a doubt, the dumbest, craziest thing we’ve ever done,” Sam whispered. “And that’s in a long, storied career of dumb and crazy. And what about Angie, we still haven’t heard anything about her.”

“Calm down. It’s all part of the plan.” Dean shrugged. “And I bet she’s fine, stop worrying so much.”

“Oh really?” Sam asked. “So Henriksen showing up was part of the plan?”

“Yeah, that guy moves a little faster than I thought. Look, all we gotta do is find Angela, find this ghost, put the sucker down… then grab ourselves a couple of teardrop tattoos.”

“That’s not funny,” Sam replied. “Dean, what about this escape plan? I-

“It’s 100 percent sure,” Dean assured. “I wouldn’t have gone if it wasn’t. I mean, come on, man, this place has all the signs of a haunting. Innocent people are dead. Four so far.”

Sam laughed sarcastically. “Yeah, innocent.”

“You from Texas all of a sudden?” Dean asked. “Just because these people are in jail, doesn’t mean they deserve to die. If we don’t stop this, people are going to continue to die. We do this job wherever it takes us.”

“Look, Dean, just be straight with me, all right?” Sam asked. “You’re doing this for Deacon.”

“Damn right.”

“Well, you barely even know the guy,” Sam replied.

“We know he was in the Corps with Dad. He saved Dad’s lie. We owe him.”

“But don’t you think he’s asking a little much?” Sam asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Dean replied. “We may not be saints, but we’re loyal and we pay our debts. Now, that means something to me, and it ought to you. I’m not thrilled about this either, but Deacon asked us to hunt this thing down, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

~/~\~

Sam looked at his spaghetti on his fork, sniffing at it. He and Dean were eating at a table by themselves.

“You know, this chicken isn’t half bad,” Dean commented.

“Great,” Sam muttered. He put down his fork and slid his plate towards Dean. “Finish mine. All right, so let’s go back over this, Dean.”

Dean stabbed Sam’s chicken with a fork and moved it to his own plate.

“Spirit suspect number one is Mark Moody, right?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, psycho killer extraordinaire, Satanism, ritual murder, died in jail.”

“You sure it’s him?” Sam asked.

“Pretty sure.” Dean nodded.

“Dean, considering our circumstances, I’m gonna need a little bit better than ‘pretty sure’,” Sam replied.

“Really pretty sure,” Dean shrugged. “Moody died of a heart attack, which is what all the victims in here are dying of. He died in the old cellblock, which they closed after he croaked, 30 years ago. They just opened that backup. That’s when the killings started.”

“So you think his spirit was released somehow?” Sam asked.

“Um-hmm,” Dean replied.

“But what if he was already cremated?”

“I’m guessing there’s something in the old block that’s keeping him around,” Dean said. “And whatever it is, we got to find it. And, uh, you know the rest.” He said, putting down his fork. “I’m done.”

Dean got up and walked away, Sam following. Sam bumped heavily into a tattooed prisoner.

“Sorry, I-

“Watch where you’re going.” The prisoner glared.

“Yeah. Sure. I just--

Dean walked over to the prisoner. “He said he was sorry.”

“Dean…” Sam shook his head.

“You talking to me?” the prisoner asked. Dean stared at him. “Are you talking to me?”

“Great, another guy who’s seen ‘Taxi Driver’ too many times,” Dean muttered. “Yeah, I’m talking to you. Trust me. Let it go.”

The prisoner walked away and Dean turned to Sam.

“See, that’s how you gotta talk to these guys.” Dean winked. “Instant respect.”

The tattooed prisoner was talking to a very large prisoner, who was sitting at a table nearby. The very large prisoner got up.

“You were saying?” Sam asked.

The large prisoner followed the tattooed prisoner towards Dean as the other prisoners looked on.

“Oh, great,” Dean muttered.

The tattooed prisoner threw a punch at Dean. Dean caught him and held him from behind.

“We can end this right now, no harm, no foul,” Dean said.

The tattooed prisoner broke Dean’s hold. Dean grabbed him again and slammed him against the wall. The tattooed prisoner stepped on Dean’s foot. Dean stepped back and kicked the tattooed prisoner in the groin and then sent him flying backward with another kick.

“That’s enough!” the warden shouted.

The warden and a guard walked up.

“On your feet, Lucas.” The warden said.

“Yes, sir, boss.” Lucas stood up.

The warden took out his baton and held it under Dean’s chin. “What’s your name?”

“Winchester,” Dean replied.

“Well. Winchester… not a good start. Solitary. You too, Lucas.”

Guards grabbed Lucas and Dean.

“Yes, sir,” Lucas said.

Dean looked at the guard and smiled when he saw it was Angela. “Are we having fun yet, huh?” he asked her.

“Shut it,” Angela muttered. “Though it is nice to see ya.” 

The very large prisoner pointed at Sam, then made a slicing neck motion across his neck. Sam sighed.

~/~\~

Dean sat in a cell, leaning against a wall. “I wish I had a baseball.” 

Lucas looked through the small window in the door of his cell, across the hallway from Dean’s cell. “What? What’d you say?”

“I said, ‘I wish I had a baseball’,” Dean repeated. He moved so he could look through his own window. “You know, like, like Steve McQueen.”

“Yeah?” Lucas asked. “Well, I wish I had a bat so I could bash your frickin’ head in.”

“Okay.” Dean nodded. He went back to leaning against the wall. “Well, so much for the bonding in solitary moment.”

The lights flicked and Dean’s breath became visible. He looked through the window and saw a clock in the hallway, which read 8:30. The second hand was just past the 4 and was not moving.

“Crap. Lucas, listen to me. Stay very still.” Dean said.

Lucas looked through his window. There was a whooshing sound and two narrowed eyes looked back at him. Lucas stepped back in alarm. A hand grabbed him from behind and turned his face around. Lucas grimaced, then screamed, as dark veins popped out on and spread across his face. Dean was looking through his own window, though he probably couldn’t see what was happening in Lucas’s cell.

~/~\~

Sam and a prisoner were mopping floors.

“How you doing?” Sam asked.

“I’m 54 years old, mopping the floor of a crapper with bars on the windows.” The prisoner replied. “How you think I’m doing?”

“All right. Bad icebreaker.” Sam muttered. “I’m Sam.”

“Randall.”

“Nice to meet y- Randall,” Sam realized. “Hey, weren’t you there the night that guard died?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, what happened?” Sam asked.

“They say the stress of the job got him.”

“Yeah? What do you say?”

“Why are you inside, kid?” Randall asked.

“’Cause I got an idiot for a brother,” Sam replied.

“That’ll do it.”

“Yeah,” Sam muttered.

“Well, this place ain’t so bad. Compared to the old cellblock, this is the damn Hilton.”

“You spent time in the old block?” Sam asked.

“Oh, yeah, I was a regular customer.”

“Didn’t they have Mark Moody there for a while?” Sam asked.

“He was there.” Randall nodded. “I was there, too, the night that lunatic bought it.”

“Yeah? It was a heart attack, right?” Sam asked.

“Sure, his heart stopped right after the guard stopped using his head for batting practice. The next morning, I was in his cell, mopping up the blood. What a mess.”

“Wait. So he, he was beaten and, and nobody reported it?”

“You kept your mouth shut unless you wanted to die from the same heart attack, you know?” Randall replied.

“Randall, exactly how much blood was there?”


	22. Folsom Prison Blues Part 2

Dean was playing cards with a prisoner at an outdoor table.

“Call,” Dean said.

“Three aces.” The prisoner replied.

“That’s a bad beat. That is a bad beat…” Dean muttered.

The prisoner picked up the cigarettes that were on the table between them. Dean had a large pile of cigarettes next to him. Sam was standing nearby watching the game.

“… but, see, I’m full… 3s over aces.” Dean smirked.

The prisoner dropped the cigarettes, slammed his hand down on the table, and stood up.

Dean laughed and spread his hands. “Sorry. Hey, it’s a cruel game, my friend.”

The prisoner flung down his cards and walked off.

“Sorry, guys,” Dean shrugged.

Sam sat down across from Dean as he gathered the cigarettes he won.

“It’s like picking low hanging fruit,” Dean chuckled.

“You don’t even smoke,” Sam replied.

“Are you kidding me?” Dean asked. “This is the currency of the realm.”

“Look. I got a good lead on Moody.” Sam changed the subject.

“Me too. His spirit paid a little visit last night.” Dean replied.

“What?” Sam frowned.

“The clock stopped, the flickering lights, cold spot… I mean, he did everything but yell boo.” Dean replied.

“Well, what happened?” Sam asked.

“He walked right by me,” Dean replied. “Lucas wasn’t so lucky. I mean, the way he was screaming… Guy was a jerk, but he didn’t deserve to go like that. By the way, I found Angie. What’d you find on Moody?”

“Really?” he smiled slightly. “Where?” he asked. “And yeah, I think I know where we might find his remains. Blood in his old cell.”

“She brought me to solitary. She’s doin’ just fine.” Dean replied. “And blood? I thought it was a heart attack.”

Sam smiled at the news of Angela being okay. His face turned serious. “It was, after the guards worked him over,” Sam said. “I mean, apparently there was so much blood in there, they had trouble mopping it out.”

“How we gonna get in?” Dean asked.

“I got a plan,” Sam started.

Dean smiled. “That’s the Sammy I know. Come on, man, you’re like Clint Eastwood from ‘Escape From Alcatraz’.”

“The problem is even if we do find something, how are we gonna burn it?” Sam asked. “We don’t have any accelerant.”

“It’s a good thing I’m like James Garner from ‘The Great Escape’,” Dean replied.

Dean stood up and held up two hands full of cigarettes. “Hey fellas!” he yelled. “Who’s ready to deal?”

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were in line for food.

“You sure about this?” Dean asked.

“Pretty sure.” Sam nodded.

“Yeah, well, considering our circumstances, I’d like a little better than ‘pretty sure’,” Dean said.

“Okay, really pretty sure.” Sam shrugged.

“I’d like mine al dente,” Dean said. The server plonked spaghetti noodles and sauce on Dean’s tray. “Perfect.”

Dean walked to a table at which the very large prisoner was sitting at.

“Save room for dessert, Tiny,” Dean said. He sat across from Tiny. “Hey, I just wanted to ask you, ‘cause I couldn’t help but notice that you are two tons of fun,” Dean added. “Just curious, is it like a thyroid problem, or is it some deep-seated self-esteem issue?”

Sam was on his feet nearby, watching.

“Cause, you know, they’re, uh, they’re just doughnuts,” Dean said. “They’re not love.”

Sam was now standing near two guards, one of them being Angela. Tiny shoved his tray towards Dean and punched Dean in the face. Dean went flying to the ground. The warden walked around a corner near the two guards. Dean got up and hit Tiny three times, but his punches seemed to have no impact. Tiny grabbed the front of Dean’s prison jumpsuit and Dean head-butted Tiny. Dean stepped back with a hand to his head. A guard put his baton around Tiny’s neck from behind. Tony picked up the guard and threw him down on the table.

“Guys, give me a hand.” The warden said.

The warden, the guard, and Angela who were standing near Sam hurried over as Tiny punched Dean again and grabbed him from behind. During the struggle, Sam slipped into the kitchen. He grabbed a salt shaker and climbed into a vent.

The guard and Angela finally succeeded at pulling Tiny away from Dean. Dean fell to the floor. Angela ran over, another guard taking her place. She helped Dean up and the warden grabbed Dean’s face.

“If we’d waited any longer, you’d be dead.” The warden said.

“You waited long enough,” Dean muttered.

The warden shoved his baton into Dean’s stomach. Dean doubled over and the warden grabbed the back of his head.

“Do yourself a favor. Don’t talk.” The warden growled. He looked at the two guards and Angela. “Take them both up to the infirmary.”

Sam was lowering himself down into a hallway in the old cellblock. He opened a cell door and lifted the covers on the bed, revealing a large bloodstain. He sprinkled salt and lighter fluid on the bloodstain, lit a match, and set the bedding on fire.

~/~\~

Dean and Tiny were in adjacent cells with the wire fence walls and curtains between them.

“Hey, Tiny,” Dean greeted.

“Yeah?” He asked.

“Hey, sorry about the things I was saying earlier. Can’t really tell you why, but I had to get you angry. So uh… Anyway, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Tiny replied. “Truth is, I have low self-esteem issues. My old man treated me and my brother like crap, right up till the day he died.”

“How’d he die?” Dean asked.

“My brother shot him.”

“Okay,” Dean nodded. Dean saw the ghost of a woman standing on the other side of a fenced-off area of the infirmary. The clock on the wall read 8:45 and the second hand was at the 12. “Oh, crap.”

“What is it?” Tiny asked.

Dean got off his bed, looked around for something to use against the ghost, and rattled the door of his cell. The ghost walked through the fence she was standing behind. The time on the clock hadn’t changed.

“What’s going on?” Tiny asked.

Dean grabbed a salt shaker from a tray at the end of his bed. The ghost came closer and Dean was flung back against the wall. He fell against the floor with a groan.

“What is it?”

The ghost was now standing over Dean. She put a hand to his chest and groaned. She breathed out and her breath was visible. Dean flung salt at her and she disappeared. He lied back, groaning in pain.

“Oh! No! No!” Tiny shouted.

“Tiny!” Dean yelled. Dean got to his feet. He saw Tiny’s shape through the curtain as he slid down the fenced wall of his cell. “Tiny!” he shouted. Dean slammed the door of his cell and kicked it. “Guard! Guard!”

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were walking across the yard.

“Wait,” Sam frowned. “So you’re telling me it wasn’t Moody?”

“Not unless he liked going around dressed as a nurse,” Dean replied. “Poor Tiny, man. Poor giant Tiny.”

“Wait, so this is, this is, like the ghost of some nurse who worked here or something?” Sam frowned.

“I don’t know, man. I guess.” Dean shrugged.

“At this point ‘I don’t know’ isn’t working for me,” Sam replied. “See, uh, I thought we were done. I called Deacon. It’s happening. We’re getting out tonight.”

“I guess we got to do some quick research, then,” Dean said.

“How?” Sam asked. “I mean, maybe you haven’t noticed… we’re in jail.”

~/~\~

“So you want to know about some nurse?” Randall asked.

Sam nodded.

“Why you want to know?” Randall raised a brow.

“We got our reasons,” Dean replied. “But, uh, we’ll make it worth your while.” Dean showed Randall a packet of cigarettes, which Randall took. “So, this nurse, she would have white hair, one screwed u eyes, is that ringing a bell?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I remember her.” Randall nodded.

“You remember her name?” Dean asked.

“No, that’s still kind of fuzzy.”

Sam exhaled, slightly amused. Dean and Sam looked at each other.

“Give it to him,” Sam said.

“I earned these,” Dean almost whined.

“Dean.”

Dean handed Randall another pack of cigarettes.

“Glockner. Nurse Glockner. Nasty old bitch worked here in the ‘70s.” Randall said.

“You knew her?” Sam asked.

“I met her once. Had to get a tetanus shot. She damn near jabbed the needle through my arm. At least I got out of there alive.”

“What do you mean?” Sam asked.

“I’ve heard these stories. I don’t know if they were true. Cons love to talk, but we’re all liars.”

“What kind of stories?” Dean asked.

“Guys would go up with a cold. Next thing you know, they’re in a body bag.” Randall said. “A whole rash of heart attacks, young guys, old guys.”

“Heart attacks?” Sam asked.

“Yeah. Story was Glockner had it out for cons and she did this, uh, Charles Bronson thing with a hypodermic. Anyway, that was the rumor. Nobody ever proved anything.”

“Whatever happened to Glockner?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know. I finished my bit and left. Next time I landed back in here, she was gone.”

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were sitting at a small table in the dining area.

“Okay, so let’s say those stories on Glockner were true,” Sam said.

“It’s a thought. In life she’s a vigilante. In death, same thing.”

“Right.” Sam nodded. “But how is she tied in with the old cellblock? And if she’s going after cons, why kill that one guard?”

“I did hear in the yard that that guard wasn’t exactly squeaky clean, so maybe she’s going after anybody that breaks the law, like me.”

“You heard in the yard?” Sam raised a brow.

“Yeah.” Dean nodded.

“Does it bother you at all how easily you seem to fit in here?” Sam asked.

“No, not really.”

“All right. Either way, we need more info on Glockner. If she’s buried, if so, where? And we got five hours to get it. No, no. Don’t give me that ‘we got to see this thing through’ look. We are leaving tonight, no matter what.”

“I don’t want to let Deacon down,” Dean replied. “We do owe him.”

“Yeah, but we don’t owe him our lives, Dean.”

Dean got up.

“Where are you going?” Sam asked.

“I’m going to go talk with our lawyer,” Dean replied.

~/~\~

Mara Daniels and Dean were talking on phone handsets while sitting on opposite sides of glass window.

“You want me to do what?” she asked.

“Her name was Glockner,” Dean replied. “She worked here as a nurse in the ‘70s. I need you to find out everything you can about her but, most importantly how she died and where she’s buried.”

“Are you nuts?” she asked. “Do you have any idea the kind of trouble you’re in?”

“I have a vague notion.”

“Good. So let’s forget about some random nurse and talk about your case.”

“Mara, it’s Mara, right?” Dean asked.

“Yeah.”

“I get that you’re trying to help me, okay?” he replied. “I do, but believe me when I say that this is the best way that you can help.”

“Really? How?” she asked. “Explain that to me.”

“I wish I could, but I can’t. I’m just gonna have to ask you to trust me on this.”

“Why should I?” she asked. “Henriksen says you’re a monster.”

“I’m a monster? I’m,” Dean laughed. “Well, he’s wrong, okay? I’m not what they say I am.”

“Everybody says that.”

“Yeah. If you’re as smart a P.D. as I think you are, then you can tell with just one look whether or not your clients are guilty, just like that. So I want you to look at me, really look, and you tell me, am I guilty?” he asked. “We’re not the bad guys.”

~/~\~

Sam was walking across the yard. He saw Dean enter the yard and held up a hand to get his attention.

“Did she go for it?” Sam asked.

“No. No, not so much.” Dean replied. “But maybe she’ll still come around.”

“We can’t wait to find out.”

“We could give it another day.” Dean shrugged.

“No, no, no. We’re getting Angie and we’re leaving tonight, and that’s it.”

“So we’re just gonna let these people die?” Dean asked.

“Don’t give me that, all right?” Sam replied. “This was your stupid plan. I went along with it, but we’re sticking to the plan.”

“Okay. Uh, you leave. I’m gonna stay.” Dean started to walk away.

“Hey, don’t turn away. Don’t turn away from me!” Sam yelled.

“Screw you.”

“What?!” Sam exclaimed. “Screw you!”

Sam grabbed Dean’s shoulder and spun him around. Dean pushed Sam back. Angela in her uniform grabbed Sam and the warden grabbed Dean as another guard rushed in.

“All right, hard case. I see the usual methods ain’t gonna work with you.” The warden glared at the brothers. “You too, sweetheart.”

The guard took hold of Dean’s arms from behind and the warden grabbed the back of Sam’s jacket. The guard, Angela, and the warden took Dean and Sam outside.

~/~\~

The guard marched Dean and Sam into a large room, the warden and Angela following.

The warden looked at the guard. “Take off. I want to handle this with just her.” He gestured to Angela.

The guard nodded and left. The warden stepped menacingly close to Dean, then smiled and put a hand on the side of Dean’s neck.

“Deacon, you are beating the holy hell out of me, man,” Dean muttered.

Deacon turned Dean so he could take off his handcuffs. “Sorry, Dean. I thought I was going easy on you.” He said and Dean laughed. “Just, uh, trying to make it look real.”

“Yeah. Well, mission accomplished.” Dean replied. He smiled at Angela. “And you missy, you are a _very_ convincing guard.

She smiled. “Thank you, Dean, I try. Heya Sam.”

Deacon took off Sam’s handcuffs. “Thanks.” He smiled before he hugged Angela tightly. “Hey, Angie.”

“So, is it over?” Deacon asked as Sam and Angela pulled away from each other.

“No. Turns out, it wasn’t Moody.” Sam replied.

“What?” Deacon asked.

“Yeah.” Sam nodded.

“Then who?”

“Uh, we think it’s some nurse who used to work here, but we’re shy on all the intel we need,” Sam replied.

“Which is why we should stick around until we find it,” Dean added.

“Oh, hey guys,” Angela said. She took an envelope out of her jacket pocket.

“You want to have this fight for real, Dean?” Sam asked. “We got to go.”

“I’m just say--

“We’ve got to go now!” Sam replied.

“Guys.” Deacons said.

“We are leaving, Dean. Otherwise, we’ll be leaving in shackled for Milwaukee, with Henriksen as company.”

“Oh, come on,” Dean groaned.

“Guys!” Angela yelled.

“What?! What?!” Sam and Dean asked in unison.

She smiled when she finally had their attention. “Your lawyer left this for you.” She replied and held up the envelope and Dean took it.

“Would you look at that,” Dean said. “Man, I am freaking velvety smooth.”

“You want to, maybe, open it up after you’re done patting yourself on the back?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Dean opened the envelope and read it. “Wow.”

“What? You want to share with the class, Dean?” Angela asked.

“Glockner died in the old cellblock after Moody bit it. Seems they had a little inmate uprising. She got caught in the middle. They dragged her to a solitary cell gave her a severe cerebral edema.” Dean said.

“Someone bashed her head in.” Angela and Sam said.

“Yeah.” Dean nodded.

“Does it say where she’s buried?” Sam asked.

“Yep.” Dean nodded.

“All right, then, let’s get you the hell out of here.” Deacon said.

“Don’t worry, Deacon. We’ll get rid of this thing.” Dean replied.

Deacon removed a vent cover on a wall. “Good, ‘cause I want it out of my prison.” He said. He walked back over to the three. He looked at the Winchesters. “Boys, uh… I can’t thank you enough for this. I know it was asking a lot but you still came through. Your daddy raised you right.” He said. He smiled at Angela. “And thank you, Angela, it’s been a pleasure meeting you and you are a brilliant guard.” He added. She smiled in thanks.

“Well, we owed you,” Sam said.

Dean looked at Sam.

“Yeah.” Deacon said. He pulled Sam into a hug, then did the same for Dean and Angela. “Hope to see you again, huh? Just not in here, okay?”

“Yeah, we’ll do our best,” Sam replied.

“Right.” Dean nodded.

Sam, Dean, and Angela headed for the vent, then Dean turned back to Deacon.

“Oh… where do you want it?” Dean asked.

“What?”

Dean smiled.

“Yeah, um…” Deacon pointed to his cheek. Dean pulled back his arm to swing a punch. Deacon held up a hand. “Um… make it look real, son.”

Dean punched Deacon.

~/~\~

The three climbed over the railing outside the prison.

“Oh, man, are you a sight for sore eyes.” Dean ran his hands along the Impala. He and Sam opened the driver and passenger doors and Angela opened the door to the backseat. The boys took off their prison jackets and she took off her uniform jacket.

“You know, I almost wish I could see Henriksen’s face,” Dean commented.

“Really?” Sam asked. “’Cause I’d be happy if I never saw him again. We’re not really out of the woods yet, Dean, you know?”

Sam and Dean put on their own jackets over their prison jumpsuits and Angela put her own jacket over her uniform.

“Yeah,” Dean agreed.

An alarm sounded and a red light above one of the prison doors started to flash.

“Let’s get out of here,” Angela urged.

“Good point.” Dean nodded.

They got in the Impala and drove away.

~/~\~

The three were taking shovels and bags out of the trunk of the Impala. They were wearing their normal clothes and set off across the cemetery.

“We got to move it. If Henriksen gets to the lawyer…” Sam said.

“I thought she couldn’t say anything, you know, that whole lawyer-client privilege thing,” Dean replied.

“The privilege doesn’t apply, Dean,” Angela commented.

“So she’ll talk?” he asked.

“She has to.” Sam shrugged.

“Oh, that’s freaking super.”

~/~\~

Dean was standing over a grave holding a flashlight. The headstone read ‘Dolores Glockner 1934-1976’. Sam and Angela were in the grave digging.

Sam and Angela reached the coffin and looked up at Dean.

“Got her.” They said.

Angela salted nurse Glockner’s corpse and Dean poured on the lighter fluid and Sam lit a match.

The corpse went up in flames as the three watched.

After the corpse had burned, they hurried back to the Impala. They put their equipment in the trunk and walked to the driver’s, passenger and backseat doors.

“Thought we were screwed before?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, I know. We got to go deep this time.” Dean muttered.

“’Deep,’ Dean?” Angela asked. “We should go to Yemen.”

“Ooh, I’m, I’m not sure I’m ready to go that deep,” Dean replied.

They got in the Impala and drove off.


	23. What Is & What Should Never Be Part 1

“Yeah?” Dean asked in the Impala.

 _“There’s a cop car outside,_ ” Sam replied from the motel room.

“You think it’s for us?” Dean asked on the other line.

 _“I don’t know.”_ Sam shrugged.

“I don’t see how. I mean we ditched the plates, credit cards.” Dean replied.

~/~\~

From the window of their motel room, Sam and Angela saw the cop car drive away.

Sam let out a relieved breath. “They’re leaving. False alarm.”

 _“You see,”_ Dean said from the other line. _“Nothing to worry about.”_

“Yeah, being fugitives?” Sam asked. “Freaking dance party.”

 _“Hey man, chicks dig the danger vibe,”_ Dean replied in the Impala. _“Bet Angie really likes_ it.” 

Sam glanced at Angela quickly. “Shut up…” he muttered.

Sam and Angela were standing in front of a few books. Angela was flipping through one. They were all about a specific demon called Djinn, and on top of them was John’s journal, opened on the same subject.

“So, you got anything yet?” Sam asked.

 _“Are you kidding me? How could I?”_ Dean asked. _“You got me sifting through like 50 square miles of real estate here.”_

Angela took the phone from Sam. “Well, that’s where all the victims disappeared.” 

_“Yeah well, I got at least squat,”_ Dean complained. _“What about you two?”_

“Just one thing.” She replied. “We’re pretty sure of it now.” She added, glancing at the book in her hand. “We’re hunting a Djinn.”

 _“A freaking genie?”_ Dean asked.

“Yeah.” She replied on the other line.

 _“What? You think these suckers can really grant wishes?”_ Dean raised a brow.

“I don’t know.” Angela shrugged. “I guess they’re powerful enough. But not exactly like Barbara Eden and the harem pants. I mean, Djinn been feeding off people for centuries. They’re all over the Koran.”

 _“My God,”_ Dean muttered. _“Barbara Eden was hot, wasn’t she? Way hotter than that Bewitched chick.”_

“Are you even listening to me?” Angela asked.

 _“Yeah,”_ Dean replied. _“So uh, what do the Djinns lair at?”_

“Ruins usually. Uh. Bigger the better, more places to hide.” Angela answered.

_“Yeah, I think I saw a place couple miles back. I’m gonna go check it out.”_

“No, no, no, no,” Angela said. “Come pick us up first.”

 _“No. I’m sure it’s nothing. I just wanna take a look around.”_ He assured before hanging up.

Angela handed Sam his phone back and sighed.

“Is he checking it out alone?” Sam asked.

“Yep.” She popped the p.

~/~\~

The Impala pulled up to a factory and came to a stop.

~/~\~

The factory was empty. Dean looked back and forth in it a few times, and then started walking back the same direction he came from but this time in the hall. On his right among all the old things and such, he walked passed a figure, which was the Djinn. Dean didn’t see it and walked on. Suddenly it attacked him, pinning him against the window wall. He dropped the flashlight and the Djinn held his other hand that contained the knife up against the wall, slammed it a few times and Dean dropped the knife. The Djinn opened its left hand and it began to glow in blue, his eyes did the same. It put its glowing hand on Dean’s forehead and Dean’s eyes rolled up as they became washed-out blue.

~/~\~

In a bedroom, a TV was showing an old black and white movie. Dean woke up and saw a woman lying next to him.

~/~\~

Dean was in a nicely furnished apartment, on the phone.

 _“Dean?”_ Sam asked on the other line.

“Sam?” Dean replied.

_“What’s going on?”_

“I don’t know,” Dean whispered. “I don’t know where I am.”

 _“What? What happened?”_ Sam asked.

“The uh, the Djinn. It attacked me.” Dean replied. “You know what, just put Angie on the phone.”

 _“The gin? You’re… drinking gin?”_ Sam asked with a sigh. _“And who’s Angie?”_

“No, asshat. The Djinn. The uh, scary creature.” Dean replied. “Remember? It put its hand on me and I woke up next to some hot chick.” He added. “And what do you mean ‘who’s Angie? She’s our friend.”

 _“Who? Carmen?”_ Sam asked. _“And uh, no we don’t know an Angie.”_

“Who?” Dean asked with a frown. “And of course we know an Angie.”

 _“Dean, you’re drunk. You’re drunk-dialing me.”_ Sam huffed.

“I’m not drunk. Quit screwing around!”

_“Look, it’s late. Alright, just get some sleep and I’ll… see you tomorrow. Ok?”_

“Wait, Sam! Sam!”

~/~\~

Dean was in the living room and picked up an envelope addressed to ‘Carmen Porter 53 Barker Ave Lawrence, KS 66044’.

“Lawrence?” Dean muttered. The next two envelopes were addressed to Dean, the same address as Carmen’s. “What the hell?”

“Honey?” Carmen asked. “What are you doing up?”

“Hey. Carmen.” Dean greeted. “Carmen, uh, I just uh…”

“Aw, you can’t sleep, huh?”

“Yeah.” He nodded.

“Well, why don’t you come back to bed and let’s see if I can do anything to help.”

“Sure.” He nodded. “Yeah. In a minute. You, you go ahead.”

She smiled. “Ok. Don’t stay up too long.”

“No.” he whispered. He picked up a photo. Dean looked utterly shocked and dropped it.

~/~\~

Dean drove up in the Impala across the street. He shut off the engine and went over to the old house from his childhood.

~/~\~

Dean banged on the door. He rang the bell two times as well. The porch light turned on and the door opened.

“Dean,” Mary greeted groggily.

Dean just stared at her for a few seconds, not believing his eyes. His voice was broken when he talked to her, on the verge of crying. “Mom?”

“What are you doing here? Are you alright?”

“I don’t know.” He admitted.

“Well… come inside.”

~/~\~

Dean came in and Mary closed the door. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

“Carmen just called and said you just took off all of a sudden,” Mary commented.

“Carmen? Right… Let me ask you a question.” He replied. “When I was a kid, what did you always tell me when you put me to bed?”

“Dean, I don’t understand--

“Just answer the question.”

“I told you angels are watching over you.” She smiled gently.

“I don’t believe it.” He muttered. He walked over and hugged her tightly.

“Honey, you’re scaring me.” She said. He backed off. “Now just tell me what’s going on.”

“You don’t think that wishes can, can really…”

“What?” she asked.

“Forget it.” He replied, hugging her again. “I get it. I’m just uh… I’m happy to see you, that’s all.”

He almost started crying but pulled it together and released the hug, looking down on Mary.

“You’re beautiful.” He said, laughing a little.

She smiled. “What?”

“Hey, when I was uh… when I was young was there ever a fire here?” he asked, walking towards the wall, looking at the books and pictures.

“No. Never,” Mary replied.

“I thought there was.” He muttered. He looked at a picture of John and Mary smiling with Dean and Sam as little kids in front of them. “I guess I was wrong.”

There was another picture of Dean in a cap, looking cool into the camera. Another picture of Dean and his prom date, clearly taken at prom. Another of Sam as a graduate. Dean picked up another picture. It was in black and white and showed John, dressed in baseball clothes with a cap and a baseball bat in his hand, ready to swing, smiling at the camera.

“Dad’s on a softball team,” Dean muttered to himself. He turned around, Mary looking at him seriously. “Dad’s… Dad’s softball team. It’s… that’s funny to me.”

“He loved that stupid team.” Mary murmured.

“Dad’s dead?” he asked. “And the thing that killed him was a…”

“A stroke. He died in his sleep, you know that.”

“That’s great.”

“Excuse me?”

“That, that’s great. That he went peacefully, I mean. That… that sure beats the alternative.”

“You’ve been drinking.”

“No, I haven’t. Mom.”

“Just gonna call Carmen and have her come pick you up, ok?”

“Wait. No, no!” he replied. He put his hand over Mary’s which was over the phone about to pick it up. “Don’t, don’t do that. Don’t do that. I wanna stay here.”

“Why?” Mary asked.

“Because I, I miss the place. It’s ok, you, you go to bed. Ok?” he replied. He went over to the couch, sat down, and looked around a bit.

Mary walked up to him and stroked his face. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I think so.” He nodded.

“Ok.” She murmured. She bent down and kissed his forehead. She started out the room, stopping by the door. “Get some rest. I love you.”

“Me too.”

She smiled and then went to bed. Dean stayed on the couch, looking perplexed.

There was a picture of Sam as a graduate with Mary and John smiling proudly next to him.

~/~\~

Dean woke up on the couch to the sound of birds singing outside. When his eyes focused he saw a picture of the whole family, the boys as kids and John was wearing a Santa hat, looking very happy. Dean opened his eyes completely, sitting up, confused. He dialed his phone.

Sam’s voicemail picked up. _“Hey, it’s me. I can’t come to the pho--_

Dean hung up.

~/~\~

“But I don’t think I’ve seen you in my class before.” The professor said.

“You kiddin’ me?” Dean asked. “I love your lectures. You… You make learning fun.”

“So, what can I do for you?” the professor asked.

“What can you tell me about Djinns?” Dean asked.

~/~\~

Dean and the professor were standing over a bunch of books.

“A lot of Muslims believed the Djinn are very real. They’re mentioned in the Koran.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Get to the wish part.”

“What about it?”

“Do you think they could really do it?” Dean asked.

“Um… Uh, no. No, I don’t think they can really do it. You understand these are mythic creatures?”

“Yeah, I know. I, I, I know. I know. But uh… I mean in the stories. You know. Say you had a wish uh. But you never even said it out loud. You know, like that ah… that a loved one never died. Or that ah, something awful never happened.”

“Supposedly, yes. I mean they have Godlike power. They can alter reality however they want. Past. Present. Future.”

“Why would the Djinn do it?” Dean asked. “It was self-defense? Or maybe it’s not really evil.”

“Son?”

“Hm?” Dean asked.

“You been drinking?”

“Everybody keeps asking me that. But uh… no.”

~/~\~

Dean opened the trunk to the Impala and there were only old magazines and paper cups and a rag in there, no guns or what have you.

Dean laughed. “Who’d a thought, baby.” He muttered. “We’re civilians.”

He closed the trunk and looked over at the building. There was a girl standing in a white shirt, skirt, and shoes, staring at Dean. He looked at her for a little while and then started to cross the street, walking towards her. Suddenly a car screeched to a halt as it avoided running into Dean. The driver hit the horn as Dean held out his hand as he looked at the car. When he turned back towards the girl to start walking to her again, she was gone.

~/~\~

Dean took a bit out of a big sandwich, grunting because of the goodness.

“This is the best sandwich, ever!” he called out, his mouth full.

“Thank you,” Mary replied.

“I tried to get hold of Sam earlier. Where, where, where is he?”

“Oh. He’ll be here soon.” Mary replied.

“Good. Dying to see him.”

“Sweetie, I… don’t get me wrong. I am thrilled you are… hanging out here… all of a sudden.” She said, quickly stroking his chin. “But uh… shouldn’t you be at work?”

“Work?”

“At the garage.”

“Right. The garage.” He nodded. “It’s where I work, yeah. No, I-I’ve got the day off.” He replied. He snickered. “Good thing.” He added. He took another bit and looked out the window. “That lawn looks like it could use some mowing.”

“You wanna mow the lawn?” Mary raised a brow.

“You kidding?” he asked. “I’d love to mow the lawn.”

“Knock yourself out. Could think you never mowed a lawn in your life.”

Dean looked all kinds of happy about this.

~/~\~

Dean started the lawnmower. He started to mow the lawn, looking really happy, enjoying it. He saw the neighbor across the street putting out the garbage. He waved to him like a regular guy does in this regular world. He waved back and then Dean continued mowing.

~/~\~

Dean was sitting on the steps to the front porch, drinking a beer, feeling happy about his work on the lawn. Suddenly he saw a woman, Angela, jogging down the sidewalk with her earbuds in. He stood up.

“Angela!” he walked over to her.

She stopped and pulled out her earbuds. “Uh, sorry.” She breathed. “Do I know you?”

He frowned slightly. “Dean Winchester. I’m a friend of yours.”

She shrugged. “Sorry. No idea who you are.” She replied as she put her earbuds back in and continued jogging.

He frowned and turned back, seeing a car drive up outside the yard.

“I don’t believe it.” He murmured. He walked over to go greet Sam and Jessica who were getting out of the car. Dean attacked Jessica with a hug while Sam took out the luggage from the trunk. “Jessica.”

“You’re, uh… good to see you too, Dean.” She replied. Dean laughed. “Can’t breathe.” She added. He let go.

“Sammy.” He smiled.

“Hey,” Sam replied.

Dean smiled big. “Look at you. You’re with Jessica, it’s, I don’t believe it.” He laughed.

“Yeah.” Sam nodded.

“Where’d you guys come from?”

“We just flew in from… Califor-- 

“California!” Dean replied. “Stanford. Huh? Law school, I bet.”

Sam motioned to the beer in Dean’s hand. “I see you started off Mom’s birthday with a bang as usual.”

“Wait,” Dean said. “Mom’s birthday, that’s today?”

“Yeah.” Sam nodded. “Yeah, Dean. That’s today. That’s why we’re here. Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“Wha…”

~/~\~

They were all sitting at a round table. Dean got served a plate.

“Wow, that… looks awesome.” Dean said.

“Alright. To Mom.” Sam said, raising a glass. “Happy birthday.”

“Happy birthday.” Jessica smiled.

“Thank you,” Mary replied.

They all clinked their glasses in a cheer.

“To mom,” Dean said.

As Dean watched, Sam and Jessica kissed. He smiled.

“I was really worried about you last night,” Carmen said to Dean.

“Oh, I’m… I’m good. I’m really good.”

“Ok.” She replied. “What do you say, later we get you a cheeseburger?”

“Oh God, yes.” He replied. She smiled. “How did I end up with such a cool chick?”

“Just got low standards.” She replied.

He laughed and kissed her.

“Alright.” Sam cut in. “Jess and I actually have another surprise for mom’s birthday. Ah… you wanna tell ‘em?”

“They’re your family.” She replied.

“Alright,” Sam laughed nervously.

Mary smiled. “What? Tell me what?”

Sam held up Jessica’s left hand and there was an engagement ring on her finger. Mary laughed happily.

“Oh my God!” she exclaimed, happy. “That’s so wonderful.”

She got up and hugged Jessica, who’s also gotten up. Sam and Carmen got up as well, while Dean sat still.

“Congratulations,” Carmen said to Jessica.

“Thank you.”

“Congratulations,” Carmen said to Sam.

“Thank you.” He replied.

Mary walked over and hugged Sam. “I just wish your dad was here.”

“Yeah. Me too.” He murmured.

“Jessica, let me see that ring,” Mary said.

“Congratulations Sammy,” Dean said.

“Thanks.”

“I’m really glad you’re happy.”

Over Sam’s shoulder, the girl who Dean saw on campus earlier, when was almost hit by a car could be seen. She looked much filthier this time. Dean saw her, brushed past Sam and walked over. Sam turned around when Dean hit his shoulder while passing by. Dean passed a lot of people and when he passed the last one, the girl was gone.

Dean turned around and looked at his family, as they stood looking at him, wondering what’s up.

~/~\~

The women laughed as everyone entered the house.

“So, Dean, what was uh… what was all that back at the restaurant?” Sam asked.

“Ah… I, I thought I saw someone. Sure it’s nothing.” He waved it off.

“Well, I had a lovely birthday. Thank you. Good night.” Mary said.

“Good night.” Jessica and Carmen said.

“Good night,” Dean said.

“Night, Mom,” Sam told her. “Yeah, well I’m beat,” Sam said to all the others. “Ready to turn in?” he asked Jessica.

“Sure.” She nodded.

“Alright. Good night guys.” Sam said.

“Wait a second.” Dean cut in. “Wait a second. Come on, it’s not even nine o’clock yet. Let’s uh… let’s go have a drink or something.”

“Yeah, maybe another time,” Sam replied.

“Come on, man,” Dean said. “Huh? We both have beautiful women on our arms. You’re engaged. Let’s go celebrate.”

Sam looked at Jessica and Carmen. “Guys, can you excuse us?” he asked. “I just want to talk to my brother for a sec.”

“Sure.” Jessica nodded.

“Thanks,” Sam replied.

“Come on, Carmen.”

The girls left the room and Sam turned to Dean.

“Come here,” Sam said. He walked to the other side of the living room.

“What?” Dean followed.

“Ok. What’s gotten into you?”

“What do you mean?” Dean frowned.

“I mean this whole warm, fuzzy ecstasy trip thing.”

“I’m just happy for you, Sammy,” Dean replied.

“Yeah, right. That’s another thing.” Sam commented. “Since when do you call me Sammy?” he asked. There was a beat. “Dean, come on. We don’t talk outside of holidays.”

“We don’t?” Dean asked. “Well, we should. I mean, you’re my brother.”

“’You’re my brother’?” Sam asked.

“Yeah,” Dean said, laughing.

“You know, that’s what you said when you snaked my ATM card, or when you bailed on my graduation, or when you hooked up with Rachel Nave.”

“Who?” Dean asked.

“Uh, my prom date. On prom night.”

“Yeah, that does kinda sound like me,” Dean muttered. “Whoa, hey man, I’m sorry about all that.” He walked towards Sam.

He backed away. “No that, look, that’s alright man, I, I just… you know I’m not asking you to change,” Sam replied. “I, I just I… I don’t know, I… guess we just don’t really have anything in common. You know?”

Sam started to walk away.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dean said. “Yes, we do. Yes, we do.” He laughed.

“What?” Sam asked.

“Hunting.”

“Hunting?” Sam asked. “I’ve never been hunting in my life, Dean.”

“Yeah, well. We should go at it sometime. I… I think you’d be great at it.”

Sam started to walk away again. He turned around. “Get some rest.” He said. He walked away and left Dean in the living room.


	24. What Is & What Should Never Be Part 2

Dean was sitting on the sofa in his living room, thinking, his brows furrowed. Carmen offered him a beer.

“My favorite.” He smiled lightly. “I guess you know me pretty well.”

“’Fraid so.” She replied. “You alright?”

“Sammy and I… you know we don’t get along.”

“Well, you don’t spend a lot of time together. I mean, I just think you don’t know each other all that well.”

“Hm.” Dean nodded.

“For the record, he doesn’t know what he’s missing.”

“I can fix things with Sam. I can make it up to him. To everyone.”

“Ok.” She sighed heavily. “What’s gotten into you lately?”

“This isn’t gonna make a lick of sense to you.” He replied. “But I kind of feel like I’ve been given a second chance. And I don’t wanna waste it.”

“You’re right, that doesn’t make any sense.”

Dean leaned in and kissed her. “You know, I get it.”

“Get what?”

“Why you’re the one.”

“Well.” She said as Dean kissed her again. “Whatever’s gotten into you… I like it.” They began to kiss. “Ohhh… come on. Don’t do this to me now. I’ve gotta get ready for work.” She got off of the couch, leaving Dean sitting with his hands as if she were still between them.

“Go to work now?” he asked.

“Yeah, I told you. I’ve got the night shifts on Thursday.”

Dean got up. “You work nights at the, uh…”

~/~\~

Carmen was standing by the closet in their bedroom, taking out scrubs. Dean stood in the doorway.

“… hospital.” He muttered to himself. “I’m dating a nurse. That is so… respectable.”

Carmen smiled at his words. Dean looked at her… well butt probably, and took a sip of beer.

~/~\~

Dean was on the couch in the living room, putting his feet on the table, drinking beer and watching TV.

 _“The olive-oil must have purpose here.”_ The woman on the TV said.

 _“Yeah.”_ The man replied.

_“Yeah?”_

_“I’ll take the olive-oil and we’ll just put a, just a touch of olive-oil, ok? That’s all.”_ He said.

 _“Oh.”_ She replied.

_“Can’t make any mistakes with this machine. Now, the liquid. I could use water but I’m gonna use a little spinach –_

Dean changed the channel to the stock market, cartoons, and then the news. He saw a plane land and heard a reporter.

 _“And today marks the anniversary of the crash of United Britannia Flight 424.”_ The reporter said.

This got Dean’s attention and he leaned forward as he continued to watch.

 _“Indianapolis residents held a candlelight vigil in memory of the hundred people who lost their lives…”_ the reporter continued.

“No, no. I stopped that crash.” Dean muttered.

~/~\~

Dean was in front of his laptop reading headlines that related to cases he had solved.

~/~\~

Dean was standing by John’s grave. The headstone said ‘John E. Winchester 1954-2006 Loving Husband and Father Remembered Forever’.

“All of them,” Dean said. “Everyone that you saved, everyone Sammy, Angela, and I saved. They’re all dead. And there’s this woman that’s haunting me. I don’t know why.” He added. “I don’t know what the connection is, not yet anyway. It’s like my old life is coming after me or something. Like it, like it doesn’t want me to be happy.” He said. “Course I know what you’d say. Well, not the you that played softball… so go hunt the Djinn. He put you here, it can put you back. Your happiness for all those people’s lives, no contest. Right? But why?” Dean muttered. “Why is it my job to save these people? Why do I have to be some kind of hero?” he asked. He began to cry as he talked. “What about us, huh? Mom’s not supposed to live her life. Sammy’s not supposed to get married. Angela’s not supposed to live a normal life. Why do we have to sacrifice everything, dad?” he paused. “It’s…” there was silence. The sky rumbled and tears began to fall on Dean’s cheek. “Yeah…”

He turned around and walked away.

~/~\~

A car could be heard outside of Mary’s house. A dog barked. Then a noise could be heard downstairs. Sam woke up.

~/~\~

Sam came down the stairs, quietly, with a bat in his hand.

~/~\~

Sam stopped in the doorway, leaning to look into the living room. He saw the window open and under it, someone was in one of the cabinets. Sam went in, swinging. The person got up and counterattacked, throwing him to the floor. It was Dean.

“That was so easy, I’m embarrassed for you. Dean breathed.

“Dean? What the hell are you doing here?” Sam asked.

Dean got up, letting Sam get up off the floor. They stood in front of the window.

“I was looking for a beer.” Dean shrugged.

“In the china cabinet?” Sam raised a brow. Sam went to turn on the light and saw the box with their parent’s silverware on the floor, opened. “That’s mom’s silver.”

“Sam,” Dean shook his head.

“What, you… broke into the house… to steal Mom’s silver?”

“It’s not what it looks like,” Dean replied. “Ok, I didn’t have a choice.”

“Oh really? Why? What’s so damn important you gotta steal from your own mother?”

“You want the truth?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, yeah I do.” Sam nodded.

Dean shrugged. “I owe somebody money.”

“Who?”

“A bookie,” Dean replied. “I lost big on a game, I gotta bring him the cash tonight.”

“I can’t believe we’re even related,” Sam scoffed in disbelief.

“Sam, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah,” Sam said quietly.

“I’m sorry we don’t get along. I’m sorry we don’t know Angie. And I wish to hell I could stay and fix it.” Dean replied. “But I gotta do this. People’s lives depend on it.” He turned around and took a knife from the box.

“What are you talking about, Dean? Why do you keep mentioning some girl named Angela?” Sam frowned.

“Nothing.” Dean waved it off. “Forget it. Just uh… hey, tell Mom I love her.”

Sam frowned, seeing that something was up. Dean went for the door.

“Dean,” Sam tried to stop him.

Dean turned around. “I’ll see you, Sammy.”

He walked out the door, one last look at Sam. Sam stood in the living room where Dean left him, confused. The Impala’s engine started.

~/~\~

Dean was sitting in the car, engine going, thinking. Suddenly the passenger door opened and Sam got in the car.

“Get out of the car,” Dean said.

“I’m going with you,” Sam replied.

“You’re just gonna slow me down.”

“Tough.” Sam shrugged.

“This is dangerous and you could get hurt.”

“Yeah, and so could you Dean.”

“Sam!”

“Look, whatever stupid thing you’re about to do, you’re not doing it alone. And that’s that.”

“I don’t understand. Why are you doing this?”

Sam sighed. “Because you’re still my brother.”

“Bitch.” Dean said.

“What are you calling me a bitch for?” Sam asked.

“You’re supposed to say jerk.”

“What?”

“Never mind,” Dean muttered. “Now, if you’re coming, there’s one more stop we have to make.” He said as he put the Impala in gear and the drove off.

~/~\~

Dean parked in front of a house. “Come on.”

“Dean, what’re we doing?” Sam asked.

Den ignored him and started walking towards the house. He knocked on the door a few times. Finally, a very sleepy looking Angela answered the door.

She frowned at Dean. “Oh God, come on. Not you again.” 

Sam looked at Dean. “Dean, who the hell is this?”

“Look, Angela, we need your help, just come with us,” Dean said, ignoring Sam.

“This is Angela?” Sam asked.

She looked at Sam and then back at Dean. “I don’t know how you found me, but I’m calling the cops.”

“No, no, don’t do that.” Dean stopped her. He sighed. “If you come with us we’ll never bother you again.”

“Ever?” she raised a brow.

“Ever.” He nodded.

“Fine.” She muttered. She pulled on a coat and walked out, locking her door.

The three walked back to the Impala.

~/~\~

Angela leaned over from the backseat and looked down on the bag on the seat between Sam and Dean.

“What’s in the bag?” she asked Dean.

“Nothin’,” Dean replied.

“Nothin’?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, nothin’.” Dean nodded.

“Fine,” Angela said. She grabbed the bag and began to open it.

“You don’t wanna do that,” Dean warned.

“Oh really?” Angela asked. She took out what was in the bag. It was a container of blood. “What the hell?! Are you some kind of psycho?!”

Sam looked at the container, then at his brother. “What the hell is this?”

“Blood,” Dean replied casually.

“Yeah, we can see that it’s blood, Dean!” Sam replied, upset. “What the hell is it doing in here?”

“You don’t really wanna know,” Dean said.

“Um, I do.” Angela cut in.

Sam nodded. “No I, I do really wanna know. I really, really do.”

“Yeah, well you two are gonna find out sooner or later. I needed a silver knife dipped in lamb’s blood.”

“What?!” Angela practically screeched.

“You needed a silver knife dipped in lamb’s blood, why?” Sam asked.

“Because there’s this creature,” Dean said. “A Djinn. And I have to hunt it.”

“Stop the car,” Angela demanded.

“Ok. Um… stop the car.” Sam agreed.

“I know how it sounds,” Dean said.

“Great. Just… stop the car.” Sam replied.

“It’s the truth, guys. Alright, there are things out there in the dark.” Dean said. “There, there, there are bad things. There are nightmare things. And people have to be saved and if we don’t save them, then nobody will.”

“You’re insane,” Angela said to Dean.

“Look, I wanna help you, and maybe Angela does too, I dunno, alright,” Sam said. “I, I really, really do, but you’re having some kind of psychotic breakdown so… just--

“I wish,” Dean muttered.

Sam picked up his phone and started dialing a number. Dean rolled down his window, grabbed Sam’s phone and threw it out the window. He held his hand out for Angela’s. She didn’t know what else to do, other than to give it to him. He did the same with her phone and rolled up the window.

“What the hell was that, Dean? Those were our phones!” Sam yelled.

“I’m not going to a rubber room, Sammy. And we’ve got work to do.”

“What? I was just trying to help you out, Dean. I don’t, I don’t want you to get yourself hurt.”

“What? You protect me?” Dean asked.

“Yeah!”

Dean laughed. “That’s hilarious. Why don’t you just sit tight and try not to get us three killed.”

~/~\~

The Impala stopped in front of the same factory from reality.

~/~\~

Dean looked over at Sam and Angela who were asleep. He picked up his flashlight and shined it on their faces. They woke up with a start.

“Where are we?” Sam and Angela mumbled.

“Well, we’re not in Kansas anymore.” He smiled at them. When there was no reaction the smile died. “Illinois.”

“Illinois?!” Angela went wide-eyed. “Oh God… have I been kidnapped?”

Sam looked at Dean. “And you think something’s in there?”

“I know it is.”

~/~\~

The three walked into the building, flashlight in hand.

“See?” Sam said. “There’s nothing here, Dean.”

~/~\~

Dean started walking down the hallway. Sam and Angela followed close behind.

“Look, Carmen’s gotta be worried sick about you, Dean. Come on, let, let’s just go.” Sam said. “And I’m sure Angela’s got a family to get back to.”

“Shh!” Dean replied.

They heard sounds and Sam and Angela started to take it seriously.

“What the hell is that?” they asked.

“Stay behind me and keep your mouths shut,” Dean said.

~/~\~

The three approached and saw bodies hanging from the ceiling.

~/~\~

There was a drained blood bag hanging next to one of the bodies.

“What the hell?” Sam and Angela asked.

Dean looked further to the right and saw the woman he’d been seeing all over town, hanging like the bodies. They approached her and there was another blood bag next to her, filled with her blood. Her eyes were open and she looked pretty dead.

“It’s her,” Dean muttered.

Sam and Angela looked at the bag and at her wrists that were tied, just like the others. She began to make sounds.

“Dean, what’s going on?” Sam asked.

“What the hell?” Angela murmured.

Dean grabbed them. “Shh!”

The Djinn was coming out. When it came out from behind a wall and walked up behind the woman, the trio was gone.

The woman was sobbing. “Where’s my dad? I wonder how…” she looked at the Djinn. “Don’t.” she breathed. She moved her feet away from the Djinn while Sam, Dean, and Angela have hidden. She was crying. “Where’s my dad.”

The Djinn touched her face. “Sleep.” He whispered. Blue flares went over her cheek as he stroked her. His eyes glowed bright blue. “Sleep.”

Her head fell forward, her eyes still open and her feet relaxed, falling forward again. The Djinn rested his face against her arms, touching her right arm and breathing heavily, eyes closed. He then went for the blood bag, pulled out a straw, and put it to his mouth, drinking her blood.

Sam and Angela saw this and they coughed in disgust. The Djinn turned around right away, eyes flashing blue and he began to move towards their hiding place. When he got there, the three were gone.

~/~\~

The Djinn walked up some creaky steps and Sam, Angela and Dean were standing below them, looking up, following his steps. When a door closed in the background Sam and Angela began to breathe loudly.

“This is real?” Sam asked.

“You’re not crazy?” Angela raised a brow.

“She didn’t know where she was.” Dean murmured. “She thought she was with her father.”

~/~\~

The three walked up to the woman again.

“What if that’s what the Djinn does?” Dean asked. “It doesn’t grant you a wish, it just makes you think it has.”

“Look man,” Sam replied. “This thing could come back, alright?”

Dean walked past Sam and Angela in the opposite direction of the woman. He looked up at a light bulb and it started to flicker in brighter light. They began to get flashes of Dean, hanging like the woman. Dean got a little trouble breathing, probably shocked for starting to realize what was going on.

“Dean, please,” Sam begged.

“We need to get out of here,” Angela added.

Dean was breathing heavily. “What if I’m like her? What if I’m tied up here someplace? What if all this is in my head?” he walked up to the woman. “I mean it could, you know, maybe it gives us some kind of supernatural acid, and then just feeds on us slow.”

“No. Dean, that doesn’t make any sense. Ok?” Sam replied.

“What if that’s why she keeps appearing to me?” Dean asked. “She’s not a spirit. It’s, it’s like more and more like I’m catching flashes of reality. You know, like I’m in here somewhere. I’m, I’m catatonic, and I’m taking all this stuff in but I, but I can’t snap out of it.”

“What are you going on about?” Angela asked.

“Yeah, ok, look,” Sam started. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re right.” He told Dean. “We were wrong. You’re not crazy but we, we, we need to get out of here. Fast.”

He started to pull Dean with him, Angela following. Dean pulled his arm loose from Sam. Sam looked at him and threw his arms out like ‘what?’.

“I don’t think you two are real,” Dean narrowed his eyes.

Angela smacked him upside the head. “That real enough for you?” 

He rubbed the back of his head. “God, you even do that here?” 

Sam, agitated, sucked in a breath. “Dude, you feel that?” he grabbed Dean by the arms. “You feel this? I’m real. Angela’s real. This is not an acid trip. We’re real, and that thing is gonna come down here and kill us for real. Now please.”

“There’s one way to be sure.” Dean pulled out the silver knife.

Sam and Angela backed off. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Sam frowned. “What are you doing?”

“It’s an old wives’ tale,” Dean replied. “If you’re about to die in a dream, you wake up.”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” Angela said. “That’s crazy. Alright?”

“Maybe,” Dean said with a determined look.

Sam started walking towards Dean. “You’re gonna kill yourself--

Dean held out the knife and his other hand to stop him.

“Ok,” Sam muttered.

“Or I’m gonna wake up. One or the other.” Dean said.

“Ok. This isn’t a dream, alright.” Sam replied. “I’m here, with you, now. So is Angela. And you’re about to kill yourself, Dean.”

“No, I’m pretty sure. Like, 90% sure. But I’m sure enough.” Dean said. He turned the knife on himself, took both his hands to the handle, ready to thrust it into himself.

“Wait!” Sam yelled.

Suddenly Mary walked up next to Dean, in the same nightgown as she died in. Behind Sam, Carmen appeared and Angela stood next to Sam.

“Why’d you have to keep digging?” Angela whispered.

Dean looked back at Mary and Jessica appeared on his right side.

“Why couldn’t you have left well enough alone?” Angela continued. Dean looked around. “You were happy.”

Mary came up in front of Dean. “Put the knife down, honey.”

“You’re not real.” He whispered, tears in his eyes. “None of it is.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s still better than anything you had.” Mary said.

“What?” he asked.

“It’s everything you want. We’re a family again. Let’s go home.” Mary murmured.

Dean shook his head. “I’ll die.” He replied. “The Djinn’ll… drain the life out of me in a couple of days.” His voice broke.

“But in here, with us. It’ll feel like years. Like a lifetime.” Mary replied. Dean looked over at Sam who half-smiled and nodded to him. “I promise.” She took his chin in her hand, he looked down on her. “No more pain.” She stroked his cheek. “Or fear. Just love and comfort. And safety. Dean, stay with us.” She stroked his other cheek and he leaned into her hand, closing his eyes. “Get some rest.”

“You don’t have to worry about Sam anymore,” Jessica said. Dean looked over at her. “You get to watch him live a full life.”

Mary stepped away, and Carmen walked up to him, taking his face in her hands, kissing him. “We can have a future together. Have our own family. I love you, Dean. Please.”

Angela walked up to him. “We can all still be friends.” She murmured. “Just in a safer world, Dean.”

Sam walked up to him. “Why is it our job to save everyone? Haven’t we done enough?” he asked. “I’m begging you.” He breathed in. “Give me the knife.”

Dean looked at Carmen, Sam, Mary, and Angela with tears in his eyes. Then he backed away looking at the floor. He raised his head, looking at Sam and Angela.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. He thrust the knife into himself, blood immediately came out of his mouth.

“Dean! Dean! Dean!” Sam shouted.

“Dean!” Angela yelled.

Sam and Angela walked up to Dean, and it was the real Sam and Angela. Dean was hanging from the ceiling like the other woman, eyes open. A blood bag hung next to him.

“Oh God. Come on.” Angela shook him.

“Hey. Wake up.” Sam said. “Wake up, dammit!”

Dean grunted a little. His eyes began to focus on Sam and Angela.

“Hey. Hey.” Sam said.

Angela smiled in relief. “There ya go.”

“Ahh… Auntie Em. There’s no place like home.” Dean mumbled.

“Thank God.” Sam breathed. “Thought we lost you for a second.”

Angela pulled the tube out from Dean’s throat.

“You almost did,” Dean replied.

“Oh, God.” Angela breathed heavily. “Let’s get you down.”

Sam reached up and started to cut through the rope as Dean winced over the pain and grunted a little. There were two bright eyes next to Sam and Angela in the shadows, and the Djinn came out.

“Sam! Angie!” Dean yelled, seeing the Djinn.

They turned around, going to the Djinn with the knives. The Djinn had Angela for a moment, getting her to drop her knife. He shoved her against the wall and knocked her out quickly. He then had Sam for a moment, getting him to drop his knife. Dean tried to pull himself loose where Sam had started cutting through the rope before. The Djinn got the upper hand on Sam and had him by the throat and moved his hand to his forehead, but Sam had a hold of his wrist, trying to stop him. The Djinn opened his fist and blue light began to appear around his hand like it did when it got Dean.

When its hand was almost at Sam’s forehead Dean thrust the knife into the back of the Djinn, turned it and the blue light went out of his eyes. It closed its eyes, its head rolled down and when Dean pulled out the knife, it fell to the ground dead.

Sam breathed heavily from being strangled and Dean didn’t look too good. Sam glanced at Angela and moved to pick her up.

~/~\~

Dean walked up to the girl. A tear rolled down one cheek. He put his hand to her neck, feeling for a pulse.

“She’s still alive,” Dean said. He handed the knife to Sam, who had set Angela upright once she woke up. “Sam…”

Dean pulled out the tube in her neck as Sam cut her rope. Dean caught her as she went down.

“I gotcha. I gotcha. We’re gonna get you out of here, ok? I gotcha.” Dean whispered.

~/~\~

In the motel room, Dean was on the bed and Angela was leaning against the wall.

“Ok, uh, thank you so much for the update. Ok, bye.” Sam hung up the phone. “That was the hospital. Girl’s been stabilized. Good chance she’s gonna pull through.”

“That’s good,” Dean replied.

“Yeah,” Angela said. “How ‘bout you? Yeah alright?”

Dean cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m alright.” He replied. He paused. “Should have seen it, guys. Our lives. You were such a wuss.” He said. “And Angela, you went jogging and had no idea who we were…”

Sam smiled slightly. “So we didn’t get along then, huh?”

“Didn’t know you two?” Angela asked. “Well, I didn’t know what I was missing.”

“No.” Dean shrugged in reply to Sam. He looked up at Angela and smiled slightly.

“Yeah… I thought it was supposed to, to be this perfect fantasy.”

“It’s wasn’t. Was just a wish. I wished for mom to live. That mom never died, we never went hunting and you and me just never uh… you know.” He muttered. “Which meant we never bumped into Angie.”

“Yeah. Well, I’m glad we do.” Sam replied. He slung an arm around Angela’s shoulders. “And I’m glad you dug yourself out, Dean. Most people wouldn’t have the strength, would have just stayed.”

“Yeah… lucky me. I gotta tell you though, man. You know, you had Jess. Mom was gonna have grandkids.” Dean replied. “And I’m pretty sure you had a family, Angie.”

“Yeah, but… Dean… it wasn’t real.” Sam replied.

“Exactly.” Angela murmured. “And I’m glad to have you boys. You’re my family.” She smiled softly. “I’d be lost without ya.”

“I know. But I wanted to stay. I wanted to stay so badly. I mean, ever since Dad… all I can think about is how much this job’s cost us. We’ve lost so much. We’ve… sacrificed so much.”

“But people are alive because of you,” Angela replied. “It’s worth it, Dean. It is.” She assured him. “It’s not fair, and… you know, it hurts like hell, but… it’s worth it.”


	25. All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1

“Hey, don’t forget the extra onions this time, huh?” Dean asked with a small smirk.

“Dean, we’re the ones who are gonna have to ride in the car with your extra onions,” Angela replied in annoyance.

Dean grinned and Sam and Angela got out of the car. Sam sighed.

“Hey, see if they’ve got any pie,” Dean told them as Sam shut the door, glaring. “Angela don’t forget to bring me some pie! I love me some pie.”

Dean watched Sam and Angela go into the café and talk to the waiter. Suddenly, Dean’s car radio became staticky. Dean glanced down and fiddled with it, but it turned off completely. When Dean looked back up, the inside of the café was empty. No waiter, no Angela, no Sam.

Dean ran into the café. One customer at a booth was dead, face down in a puddle of blood.

“Sam? Angie?” Dean asked.

He took out his gun and looked around. He found that the employees were also dead, with their throats slit.

Dean opened the back door and looked around outside. “Sam?! Angela?!” he yelled. Dean then noticed a white substance on the door. “Sulfur.” 

Dean raced back out the front door, heading back to the car.

“Sam! Sammy!” he yelled. He got no response. “Angela? Sam? Angie! Sammy!” he shouted. Still no response. “Sam! Angela!”

~/~\~

Sam and Angela woke up in the middle of nowhere. They were lying on the ground, and a few abandoned buildings lined the street. They stood and both took out their phones but got no cell reception.

“Huh… No cell reception…” Angela mumbled.

Sam looked at her. “Yeah, same here…”

Sam and Angela continued to search the deserted town but they didn’t find much. Most of the buildings were broken down or locked from the outside. Suddenly, they heard a creaking noise from nearby. Angela tensed and Sam grabbed a plank of wood, ready to fight when Andy Gallagher turned the corner. He jumped back, startled.

“Andy?” Sam asked.

Angela looked between the two. “You know each other?” 

“Sam!” Andy exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know,” Sam replied. He looked at Angela. “Yeah, Dean and I met him when working a case. He’s a psychic too.”

“Right.” She replied and smiled slightly. “I’m Angela. I’m a friend of the Winchesters.”

Andy nodded and looked at them frantically. “What am I doing here?!”

“We don’t know,” Angela replied.

“Where are we?!” Andy asked.

“Andy, look, calm down,” Sam said.

“I can’t calm down! I just woke up in freaking Frontierland!”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Angela asked.

“Honestly?” Andy asked. “My fourth bong load. It was weird. All of a sudden, there was this really intense smell. Like uh…”

“Like sulfur?” Angela and Sam asked.

“How did you know that?” Andy asked, eyeing them slightly.

Sam remembered something. “Dean.”

“Your brother, is he here?” Andy asked.

“We don’t know where he is.” Angela murmured. “We don’t know if he’s…”

Suddenly, they heard a woman screaming in the distance. They approached another deserted building. She was locked inside, banging on the door for help.

“Hello?” Sam asked.

“Help me!” the woman exclaimed. “Help me, please!”

“Ok, we’re here,” Angela said. “We’re gonna get you out, all right? Just hold on a second.”

“Please!” the woman yelled.

Sam grabbed a large rock and smashed the padlock on the door. “All right, one second.” 

“Please!” the woman shouted.

Sam unlocked the door and Ava Wilson stepped out.

“Ava?” Sam and Angela asked in disbelief.

“Oh my God!” Ava exclaimed. “Sam! Angela!” she said. She gave them a gigantic hug, sobbing.

“So, I guess you three know each other,” Andy commented.

“Yeah.” Angela nodded.

“How did you, I mean, how did you-- 

“Ava, have you been here this whole time?” Sam asked, frowning.

“What whole time?” Ava asked. “I just woke up in there, like, half an hour ago.”

“Well, you’ve been gone for five months,” Angela replied. “Sam, Dean, and I have been looking for you everywhere.”

“Okay, that’s impossible, because I saw you guys two days ago,” Ava said.

“You didn’t. I’m sorry.” Sam replied.

“But… that makes no sense.” She said. “That’s not, oh my God! My fiancée, Brady! If I’ve been missing for that long, he must be freaking out!”

“Well…” Angela muttered.

Ava noticed Andy and looked at him, confused.

“Hey.” He waved. “Andy. Also freaking out.”

“Okay.” She nodded. “What’s happening?” she asked Sam and Angela.

“We don’t really know yet,” Sam replied. “But we know one thing, we know what the four of us have in common.”

They suddenly heard a man’s voice, calling from the distance.

“Hello? Is anybody there?” the man called.

“Maybe more than four,” Angela said.

They ran to the side of another building. The man, Jake Talley, was accompanied by a blonde girl, Lily.

“Hello? Hey! Hey, you guys all right?” Sam asked concernedly.

“I think so,” Jake replied.

“I’m Sam.” He introduced. “This is Angela.” 

“I’m Jake.”

“Lily.”

“Are there any more of you?” Angela asked.

“No,” Jake replied.

“How did we even get here?” Lily asked. “A minute ago, I was in San Diego.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I went to sleep last night in Afghanistan,” Jake said.

“Let me take a wild guess, you two are both twenty-three?” Sam asked. “We all are. And we all have abilities.”

“What?” Jake asked.

“It started a little over a year ago?” Angela asked. “You found you could do things? Things you didn’t think were possible?” she added. They nodded. “Sam and I have visions. We see things before they happen.”

“Yeah. Me, too.” Ava said.

“Yeah, and I can put thoughts into people’s heads,” Andy said. “Like, make them do stuff. But don’t worry, I don’t think it works on you guys.” He shrugged. “Oh, but get this, I’ve been practicing. Training my brain, like meditation. So now, it’s not just thoughts I can beam out, but images, too.” He said. “Like, anything I want. Bam! People see it.” He grinned. “This one guy I know, total dick, right? I used it on him, gay porn. All hours of the day.” He laughed. “It was just like… you should have seen the look on his face.”

The other five looked completely horrified.

“Uh… okay,” Andy muttered.

“So, you go, ‘Simon says give me your wallet’, and they do?” Lily asked. She looked at Sam and Angela. “You two have visions? That’s great! I’d kill for something like that.”

“Lily, listen, it’s okay,” Sam replied.

“No. It’s not.” Lily replied. “I touch people? Their hearts stop. I can barely leave my house. My life’s not exactly improved. So, screw you. I just wanna go home.”

“Lily, please,” Angela pleaded. “We need to stick together.”

Jake looked at Lily. “And what, we don’t?”

“You know what, don’t talk to me like that-- 

“Hey, guys, please.” Sam cut in. “Look, whether we like it or not, we’re all here, and so we all have to deal with this. Angie’s right, we need to stick together.”

“Who brought us here?” Andy asked.

“It’s less of a ‘who’,” Angela replied. “It’s more of a ‘what’.”

“What does that mean?” Ava raised a brow.

“It’s a demon.” Sam and Angela said after a pause.

~/~\~

Bobby and Dean were parked on the side of the road, poring over a map.

“This is it,” Bobby said. “All demonic signs and omens over the past month.”

“Are you joking?” Dean asked. “There’s nothing here.”

“Exactly,” Bobby replied.

“Well, come on, there’s gotta be something,” Dean said. “What about the normal, low-level stuff? You know, exorcisms, that kind of thing.”

“That’s what I’m telling you, there’s nothing. It’s completely quiet.” Bobby replied.

“Well, how are we supposed to look for Sam and Angie?” Dean asked. “What, do we just close our eyes and point?” he added. His phone rang. It was Ash, calling from the Roadhouse. “Ash, what do you got?”

 _“Okay, listen, it’s a big negatory on Sam and Angela,”_ Ash replied.

“Oh, come on, man!” Dean replied. “You’ve gotta give us something. We’re looking at a three thousand-mile haystack here.”

 _“Listen, Dean, I did find something,”_ Ash said.

“Well, what?” Dean asked.

 _“I can’t talk over this line, Dean,”_ Ash said.

“Come on, I don’t have time for this!”

 _“Make time, okay?”_ Ash replied. _“Because this..."_ he stopped as a customer walked by. _“What’s up? What’s going on?”_ he asked. The customer passed by, and Ash went back to Dean. _“Not only does this almost definitely help you find your brother an Angela, this is… it’s huge. So get here. Now.”_ He hung up.

“I guess we’re going to the Roadhouse,” Dean said. “Come on.”

~/~\~

“So, we’re soldiers in a demon war to bring on the Apocalypse?” Jake asked.

“When you put it like that-- 

“And we’ve been picked?” Jake asked.

“Yes.” Sam nodded.

“Why us?”

“We’re not sure, okay?” Angela replied. “But look, we just know--

“Sam, Angela, I’m sorry,” Ava said. “Psychics and spoon-bending is one thing, but demons?”

“Look, we know it sounds crazy, but-- 

“It doesn’t just sound it,” Jake muttered.

“I don’t really care what you think, okay?” Angela told Jake. “If we’re all gathered here together, then that means it’s starting and that we’ve gotta--

Angela sighed as she was cut off again.

“The only thing I’ve gotta do is stay away from wackjobs, okay?” Jake replied. “I’ve heard enough. I’m better off on my own. FYI, so are you.”

“Jake, hold on. Jake!” Sam yelled.

Jake ignored him and continued walking until he was alone in the town. Suddenly, he saw a little girl standing inside one of the buildings. She stared at him through the door, then vanished. Jake followed her, entering the abandoned schoolroom.

“Hello?” Jake asked. The girl could be heard giggling somewhere in the room. “It’s all right. Don’t be scared. Are you lost?” no response. “Hello?”

He then heard screeching coming from the chalkboard. He turned to look at it, and the words ‘I will not kill’ were written over and over again on the board. The girl appeared in the room, laughing. Her nails grew to form claws, and her face contorted.

“Get back!” Jake yelled.

Sam and Angela suddenly entered the building. Angela quickly grabbed an iron poker and hit the girl with it. She dissolved into a cloud of black smoke, which exited the schoolroom. The other three joined Jake, Angela, and Sam.

“Just so you know?” Angela said. “That was a demon. Now, that thing, I’m not sure, but I think it was an Acheri.” She added.

“A demon that disguises itself as a little girl.” Sam continued. “That still doesn’t tell us where we are.” He added. “Andy, are you with us or what?”

Andy was stunned. “Give me a minute.” He replied. “I’m still working through, ‘demons are real’.”

The group kept walking. In front of one of the buildings was a large, rusty bell hanging from a wooden structure.

“I’ve seen that bell before,” Sam said. He looked at Angela. “I think I know where we are now, Cold Oak, South Dakota. A town so haunted, every single resident fled.”

Angela smiled slightly. “I love that you know that.” She replied. He returned her smile slightly.

“Swell,” Ava said. “Good to know we’re somewhere historical.”

“Why in the world would that demon or whatever put us here?” Lily asked.

“We’re wondering the same thing,” Angela replied.

“You know what?” Lily said. “It doesn’t matter. Clearly, the only sane thing to do here is to get the hell out of Dodge.”

“Wait, hold on,” Sam said. “Lily, the only way out is through miles of woods.”

“Please, we’ve got to stick together, we’re a team,” Angela said.

“Beats hanging out with demons,” Lily replied. “And no, we’re really not.”

“Lily, look, we don’t know what’s going on yet. I mean, we don’t even know how many of them are out there right now.” Sam said.

“Yeah, they’re right,” Jake said. “We should--

“Don’t say ‘we’!” Lily yelled. “I’m not part of ‘we’. I have nothing in common with any of you.”

“Okay, look, I know-

“You don’t know anything!” Lily yelled at Angela. She paused. “I accidentally touched my girlfriend.”

The rest of them looked around, stunned.

“I’m sorry.” Angela murmured.

“Whatever,” Lily replied. “I feel like I’m in a nightmare, and it just keeps getting worse and worse.”

“We’ve lost people, too,” Sam replied. “I have a brother out there right now that could be dead, for all Angela and I know. We’re all in bad shape. But I’m telling you, and this is what Angela has been telling you, the best way out of this is to stick together.”

“Fine,” Lily said.

Sam nodded, and the group continued looking around the town.

“We’re looking for iron, silver, salt, any kind of weapon,” Angela said.

“Salt is a weapon?” Jake asked.

“It’s a brave new world,” Angela replied.

“Well, hopefully, there’s food in your world, because I’m frickin’ starving,” Andy said.

They entered another building. Lily looked like she was about to follow, but stayed behind. She wandered off on her own, away from the group.

~/~\~

Dean and Bobby turned the corner to the Roadhouse. When they got there, however, the entire building had burned to the ground.

“What the hell?” Dean looked around.

They got out of the car and began walking among the debris. Every single part of the Roadhouse had been destroyed.

“Oh, my God,” Bobby gaped.

“You see Ellen?” Dean asked.

“No. No Ash, either.”

Dean suddenly bent down and saw Ash’s watch in the pile of rubble. He pulled on it and saw it was still attached to Ash’s very burnt corpse.

“Oh, Ash, dammit!” Dean yelled.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were searching one of the abandoned houses. Sam found a knife and picked it up. Angela turned back to Ava, who was massaging her head.

“Hey, you all right?” she asked Ava.

“Yeah, I’m just… I don’t know, a little dizzy.”

Sam turned to face the women. “Are you sure it’s not some kind of--

“What? Some kind of freaky vision thing?” Ava asked. “No, more like I’d kill for a sandwich. I haven’t eaten since… well, who knows? No, don’t worry. I’m fine. Except for every single thing that’s happening.”

“You guys!” Andy called. “I found something!”

Sam, Angela, and Ava joined the two men. Andy was holding up two bags.

“Salt!” he grinned.

“Good work, Andy,” Angela replied.

“That’s great, Andy.” Sam agreed. “Now, we can all… where’s Lily?”

“Lily?” Ava asked.

“Lily!” Sam and Angela exclaimed.

They suddenly heard the little girl giggling nearby. The five of them walked outside. At the top of the water tower, Lily was hanging from a noose, dead.

“Oh, my God!” Ava exclaimed. “Okay, that’s official, Sam, Angela, she’s dead! She’s dead! You said we were chosen for a reason. That is not chosen! That’s killed! Okay, we have to get out of here.”

“Stop,” Angela said.

“Yeah, I second that emotion,” Andy muttered.

“Not sure that’s an option,” Jake replied.

“What?” Ava asked.

“Lily was trying to leave,” Sam said. “The demon’s not gonna let us get away that easy. We’ve gotta gear up for the next attack.”

“Oh, gear up?” Ava asked.

“Yeah.” Angela and Sam nodded.

“Okay, well, I’m not a soldier. I can’t do that!” Ava replied.

“Well, if you wanna stay alive, you’re gonna have to,” Angela said. “Let’s go.”

“I’ll get her down,” Jake said.

“You know, I was just thinking about how much Dean would help right now,” Sam said. “I’d give my arm for a working phone.”

“I second that,” Angela muttered. She ran a hand through her hair.

Andy realized something. “You know, you may not need one.” He replied. “I’ve never tried it long-distance before, but do you have anything of Dean’s on you? Like, something he touched?”

Sam and Angela searched their pockets.

“Uh… I’ve got a receipt.” Sam replied. “Would that work?”

“Yeah.” Andy nodded. He looked at the signature on the receipt. “D. Hasselhoff?”

“Yeah, that’s Dean’s signature,” Angela said. She sighed and rolled her eyes. “It’s hard to explain.”

“All right.” Andy nodded.

~/~\~

“This is…” Bobby trailed off.

“What the hell did Ash know?” Dean asked. “We’ve got no way of knowing where Ellen is. Or if she’s even alive. We’ve got no clue what Ash was gonna tell us. Now, how the hell are we gonna find Sam and Angela?”

“We’ll find them,” Bobby said.

Suddenly, Dean clutched his head in pain.

“Dean?” Bobby frowned.

Dean groaned and doubled over. He saw an image of the Cold Oak bell very quickly.

“What was that?” Bobby asked.

“I don’t know,” Dean muttered. “A headache?”

“You get headaches like that a lot?”

“No. Must be the stress.” He shrugged. He chuckled. “I could have sworn I saw something.”

“What do you mean? Like a vision? Like what Sam and Angie get?”

“What? No!” Dean replied.

“I’m just saying.”

“Come on, I’m not some psychic,” Dean muttered.

Suddenly, the vision came back. Dean fell against the car in pain. He saw another image, this time of Sam and Angela.

“Dean?” Bobby asked. “Dean! Are you with me?”

“Yeah, I think so. I saw Sam and Angie. I saw them, Bobby.”

“It was a vision.”

“Yeah.” Dean nodded. “I don’t know how, but yeah. Whew. That was about as fun as getting kicked in the jewels.”

“What else did you see?”

“Uh… there was a bell.”

“What kind of bell?”

“Like a big bell with some kind of engraving on it, I don’t know.”

“Engraving?”

“Yeah.” Dean nodded.

“Was it a tree? Like, an oak tree?”

“Yeah, exactly.” Dean nodded.

“I know where Sam and Angie are,” Bobby said.

~/~\~

Jake, Sam, and Angela were in a barn, trying to break some of the iron bars off one of the machines. Jake, however, grabbed one of the bars and ripped It off with his bare hands. Sam and Angela stared at him, stunned.

“Wow,” Angela muttered.

“I’m not Superman or anything.” Jake shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”

“You were in Afghanistan when this started?” Angela asked.

“Yeah, I started getting headaches.” Jake nodded. “And then there was this accident. This guy flipped his vehicle on a bad road. He got pinned underneath. I lifted it off him like it was nothing. Everybody said it was a fluke adrenaline thing.”

“But then you did it again, right?” Sam asked.

“Bench-pressed 800 pounds, stone-cold calm. I never told anybody, of course. It was just too crazy.”

“Yeah.” Angela murmured. “Crazy’s relative.”

“I’m starting to get that.”

“Yeah,” Sam muttered.

“By the way, I appreciate what two are doing here.”

“What are we doing?” Angela asked.

“Keeping calm. Keeping them calm. Especially considering how freaked to hell you two really are. I’ve been in some deep crap before myself. I know the look.”

“You wanna know the truth?” Sam asked after a long pause. “I’ve got this brother, and he’s her friend, right? And he’s always telling us how he’s gonna watch out for us, how everything’s gonna be okay. You know, kind of like we’ve been telling them.”

“Yeah?” Jake asked.

“I don’t know if I believe it this time. I mean, the size of what’s coming, it’s bigger than anyone has ever seen.” Sam said. “I mean, it’s gonna get bad. And I don’t know if--

“If we’re gonna make it?” Jake asked. “It doesn’t matter if we believe it. Only matters that they do.”

Angela looked up at Sam. “Everything is gonna be okay.” 

“Yeah?” he smiled softly.

“Yeah.” She smiled back at him.

~/~\~

Later, Sam, Angela, and Ava were in one of the houses, lining the doors and windows with salt.

“My horoscope said I shouldn’t have gotten out of bed.” She scoffed. “How you two doing? Holding up?”

“Relatively okay,” Angela replied, shrugging.

“I’m okay too.” Sam nodded. “What about you?”

“Not so okay,” Ava replied. “Why us, guys? What did we do to deserve this?”

“Just lucky, I guess,” Sam replied.

“If it wasn’t for bad luck, we’d have no luck at all. I just can’t wait for all this to be over so I can just pretend it never happened.” Ava said. “I just wanna curl up with Brady and watch bad TV.” She noticed Sam and Angela shift uncomfortably. “What is it? Sam… Angela… do you know something that I don’t?”

“Look, Ava… I’m sorry.” Angela whispered. “I wish we didn’t have to tell you this.”

“Tell me what?”

“When the demon broke into your house to take you… your fiancée didn’t make it.” Angela replied softly. “We’re sorry.”

“No, that’s… no!” Ava cried. Angela hugged her as she sobbed and Sam put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

That night, the entire group was sitting in one room, silent. Sam and Angela were struggling to stay awake, Sam closed his eyes every so often and Angela just pushed herself to not sleep. Suddenly, in the corner of the room, they saw the Yellow-Eyed Demon.

“Jake! Behind you!” Sam and Angela yelled. Jake didn’t hear them.

“Howdy, Sam. Angie.” The Yellow-Eyed Demon smiled.

“We’re dreaming,” Sam said.

“What do you say you two and I take a little walk?” the Yellow-Eyed Demon asked.

He led Sam and Angela outside.

“You two are awfully quiet.” The Yellow-Eyed Demon said. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”

“We’re gonna tear you to shreds, I swear to-- Sam started.

The Yellow-Eyed Demon chuckled. “When you two wake up, tiger, you two give it your best shot.”

“Where’s Dean?” Angela asked.

“Quit worrying about Dean.” He waved it off. “I’d worry more about yourselves.”

“Why?” Sam asked. “You gonna kill us?”

“I’m trying to help you.” He said to Sam. “Well, both of you. That’s why we’re talking.” He added. “But, you’re the one I’m rooting for.” He told Sam.

“Then why am I here talking to you?” Angela asked.

“Yeah, what’s that supposed to mean?” Sam asked.

“Well, I’m trying to pit you two against each other. Makes it all the more fun.” The Yellow-Eyed Demon replied. “Welcome to the Miss America pageant. Why do you think you’re here? This is a competition. Only one of you crazy kids is gonna make it out of here alive.”

Angela glared at him. “Well, it’s not gonna work. You aren’t gonna pit Sam and me against each other.”

Sam nodded in agreement. “I thought we were supposed to be--

“Soldiers in a coming war?” the Yellow-Eyed Demon asked. “That’s true. You are. But here’s the thing, I don’t need soldiers. I need soldier. I just need the one.”

“Why?” Angela asked.

“Well, I couldn’t just come out and say that, could I, Angela? I had to let everyone think they had a fighting chance. But what I need is a leader.”

“To lead who?” Sam asked.

“Oh, I’ve already got my army. Or I will soon, anyway.”

“You son of a bitch.” Angela snarled.

“Honestly, I’m surprised you hadn’t guessed. I mean, why do you think so many children flamed out already? Max Miller and Andy’s brother, what’s-his-name, they weren’t strong enough. I’m looking for the best and brightest of your generation.”

“Our generation?” Angela asked.

“Well, there’s other generations, but let’s just worry about yours. That’s why I’m here, guys. I wanna give you two, but mostly Sam the inside track. You’re both tough. You’re both smart. You’re both well-trained, thanks to your daddies. Sam, Sammy, you’re my favorite. Angie, you’re a close second.”

“You ruined our lives. You killed people we loved.” Angela growled.

“The cost of doing business, I’m afraid.” He shrugged. He looked at Sam. “I mean, sweet little Jessica, she just had to die. You were all set to marry that little blonde thing, become a tax lawyer with two kids, a beer gut, and a little McMansion in the suburbs.” He said. He looked at Angela. “And Tyler had to die too. You two had an apartment together, you had been dating for years, and he was about to propose. You both would’ve gotten jobs and moved to a nice single-family home to raise a family.” He whispered. Angela swallowed thickly. “I needed you two sharp on the road, honing your skills. Your gifts.”

Sam glanced at Angela who was tense.

“What about our moms?” Angela whispered.

“That was bad luck.”

“Bad luck?” Sam frowned.

“Well, Angie’s mother just simply got in the way of things. She was so attached to little Angie.” He rolled his eyes. “Had to get rid of her. Now Sammy, your mother, she walked in on us. Wrong place, wrong time.”

“What does that mean?” Sam asked.

“It wasn’t about your mothers. It was about you two. It’s always been about you two.”

“What?” Sam and Angela asked.

“Well… okay. You caught me in a charitable mood. I’ll show you.”

The demon snapped his fingers, and the three were suddenly in Sam’s nursery, back on the night Mary died.

“Look familiar, Sam? It should.”

Sam watched his six-month-old self crying in his crib, while the Yellow-Eyed Demon from the past stood over him all those years ago.

“Relax, Sam, this is just a hi-def instant replay. Enjoy the show.”

Mary Winchester entered the room, looking tired.

“John?”

“Mom!” Sam yelled, invisible to her.

“Shh.” The past Yellow-Eyed Demon said.

“Okay.” Mary left.

“Wait, Mom. Mom!”

“What did I just tell you, Sam? She can’t hear you. This isn’t real.”

They watched as the past Yellow-Eyed Demon sliced his own wrist with his nail. He dripped some of the blood onto baby Sam’s mouth.

“Oh my God…” Angela breathed.

“What the hell are you doing to me?” Sam asked.

“Better than mother’s milk.” The present Yellow-Eyed Demon said.

“Does this mean I have demon blood in me?” Sam asked. The demon chuckled. “Answer me!”

Mary suddenly rushed back into the room. The past Yellow-Eyed Demon turned to her, revealing his colored eyes.

“It’s you.” Mary breathed.

“She knew you,” Sam said.

Mary began walking closer, but the past Yellow-Eyed demon forced her against the wall. They watched as she slowly moved up the wall until she was pinned to the ceiling.

“No! No!” Sam yelled.

“I don’t think you wanna see the rest of this.” The present Yellow-Eyed Demon said. “Let’s go see Angie’s, now, yeah?” he added.

He snapped his fingers and they all appeared in Angela’s parent’s bedroom. Angela’s mother slept alone in the bed, as her father was downstairs on the computer. In the room was a cradle that six-month-old Angela slept in.

Angela swallowed thickly, and Sam glanced at her, taking her hand in his.

Six-month-old Angela started crying as the past Yellow-Eyed Demon stood over her cradle. Angela’s mother stirred slightly and woke up to baby Angela crying. She sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily.

“Angie, what’s wrong, baby?” she asked. When her vision focused she saw the past Yellow-Eyed Demon. “Robert?” Lillian Ann asked.

The past Yellow-Eyed Demon turned to face Lillian Ann as he dripped his blood onto baby Angela’s mouth. “Not quite.” He smirked.

“Oh my God…” she breathed. Lillian Ann went wide-eyed and scrambled to stand up, but she was already sliding up the wall next to her bed.

“Angie!” she screamed as she was pinned to the ceiling.

Angela looked at the scene, tears in her eyes. “Mom…” she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. She saw heard her father running up the stairs. She felt Sam squeeze her hand slightly.

“Well, I think that’s enough.” The present Yellow-Eyed Demon said.

He snapped his fingers again. Sam and Angela jolted awake in the abandoned South Dakota house. Angela quickly wiped away the fallen tears.

Sam’s eyes softened when he looked at her. “You alright, Angie?” he asked softly.

She nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be okay.” she murmured. “You?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be okay too.”

“Sam, Angela, wake up!” Jake yelled. “Ava’s missing.” He said. The three went outside. “I’ll take the barn and the hotel. You two take the houses.”

“All right. Meet back here in ten minutes, okay?” Sam said.

“Okay,” Jake replied.

Sam and Angela began walking to the houses. Ava poked her head out from around the corner, but they didn’t see her.

~/~\~

Angela and Sam walked side by side, Sam’s hands in his pockets.

“So you had a boyfriend?” he asked curiously.

She laughed slightly. “Surprising, I know.” She replied. She frowned, going serious. “But uh, yeah, I did.”

Sam looked at her. “It’s not surprising. Any guy would be lucky to have you.” 

She looked up at him and smiled softly. “Really?” 

“Of course.” He nodded. You’re smart, funny, and absolutely beautiful.” He murmured.

“Oh, you’re too kind Sam. But thank you.” She replied. “Anyway uh, Tyler and I dated from 2001 to 2005.” She said. “In 2001 my dad had been killed by a Wendigo, and uh, I didn’t know what to do, so I got away from hunting, moved to a small town, and lived by myself for a bit. Then I met Tyler at the local library and we hit it off. After a year of dating he moved in, and uh we lived together for a while. Didn’t know he was gonna propose though…” she murmured.

Sam wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “I’m sorry that that happened Angie.” 

She looked up at him. “Me too.” She murmured. “But uh, I mourned, and then I uh, got back into hunting. I’m kinda glad I did. I met you and Dean.”

Sam smiled softly but then heard Ava screaming from inside. Sam and Angela hurried inside. They saw her crying, pointing at Andy’s body.

“Sam! Angela!” she cried. “I just found him like this!”

“What happened?” Sam and Angela asked.

“I don’t know!”

“How’d that thing get in? Angela asked. “Where were you?”

“I just went to get some water from the well. I was only gone maybe, like, two minutes!”

“You shouldn’t have gone outside,” Sam replied. “Ava, we have to stay in here.” He said. He noticed the salt on the window. “Who did that?”

“I don’t know, maybe Andy--

“Andy wouldn’t do that,” Angela replied. “Ava, that line wasn’t broken when we left.” She narrowed her eyes. “Ava.”

“What?” she asked. “You don’t think that I--

“I’ll tell you what we think, five months,” Sam replied. “You’re the only one with all that time you can’t account for. And that headache you got? Right when the demon got Lily.”

“What are you trying to say?” Ava asked.

“What happened to you?” Angela asked.

“Nothing!”

Sam and Angela stared her down until a minute later, she dropped the act.

“Had you two going though, didn’t I?” Ava asked. She wiped her eyes. “Yeah. I’ve been here a long time. And not alone, either. People just keep showing up. Children, like us. Batches of three or four at a time.”

“You killed them? All of them?” Angela asked.

“I’m the undefeated heavyweight champion.”

“Oh, my God,” Sam whispered.

“Don’t think God has much to do with this, Sam.” 

“How could you?” Angela asked.

“I had no choice.” She shrugged. “It was me or them. After a while, it was easy. It was even kind of fun. I just stopped fighting it.”

“Fight what?” Sam asked.

“Who we are, guys,” Ava said. “If you just quite your hand-wringing and open yourself up, you have no idea what you can do. The learning curve is so fast, it’s crazy, the switches that just flip in your brain. I can’t believe I started out just having dreams. Do you know what I can do now?”

“Control demons,” Angela muttered.

“Ah, you are quick on the draw.” She put her hands to her head. “Yeah, I’m sorry guys. But it’s over.”

The cloud of black smoke returned to the window. Just as it was about to enter, Jake came to the building. He grabbed Ava and twisted her neck, killing her instantly. The demonic smoke left the window and disappeared.

~/~\~

Outside, near the edge of the woods, Bobby and Dean pulled up in the Impala.

“Looks like the rest of the way’s on foot,” Bobby said.

They opened the trunk and grabbed their weapons.

“Let’s go,” Dean said.

~/~\~

Back at the building, Sam, Angela, and Jake left and headed outside.

“I think we can make it out of here now,” Angela said.

“But the Acheri demon…” Jake said.

“No, no, no,” Sam replied. “Ava was summoning it, controlling it. It shouldn’t come back now that she’s dead. We’ve gotta go.”

“Not ‘we’, guys,” Jake replied. “Only one of us is getting out of here. I’m sorry.”

“What?” Angela asked.

“I had a vision. That Yellow-Eyed Demon or whatever it was, he talked to me. He told me how it was.”

“No, Jake, listen. You can’t listen to him.” Sam said.

“Guys, he’s not letting us go,” Jake replied. “Only one. Now, if we don’t play along, he’ll kill all three of us. Now, I like you two, I do. But do the math here. What good’s it do for three of us to die? Now, I can get out of here. I get close to the demon, I can kill the bastard.”

“You come with us, we can kill him together,” Angela told Jake.

“How do I know you two won’t turn on me?”

“We won’t,” Sam assured him.

“I don’t know that,” Jake said.

Angela and Sam took out their knives, showed them to Jake, and placed them on the ground.

“Just come with us, Jake.” Angela murmured. “Don’t do this. Don’t play into what it wants.”

After a pause, Jake placed his weapon on the ground as well. Sam and Angela looked very relieved.

“Okay.” Sam nodded.

Suddenly, Jake punched him. With his super-strength, Sam went flying across the field and crashed onto the ground.

“Sam!” Angela yelled. She started jogging towards Sam.

Jake started going after her and grabbed her wrist, turned her to face him. She tried fighting him off, but he was too strong. Suddenly, his hands cupped her chin and the top of her head, and he snapped her neck, killing her instantly. She felt to the ground, dead.

Sam started to get up and saw Angela on the ground. “Angie!” he yelled.

Jake approached Sam, kicking down the fence and leaning over Sam. Sam stood and fought back, punching Jake. The two continued fighting for a while until finally, Sam grabbed the iron bar that Jake was using and knocked Jake out. He thought of killing Jake with the iron rod but decided to leave him alone.

Sam ran over to where Angela was and knelt down. “No… No, no, no,” he said. He swallowed thickly, fighting back tears. “You can’t be dead, Angie, you can’t be. I-I never got to tell you how I felt. Please. Please wake up.” His voice cracked a bit. He picked her up bridal style and stood.

Down the street, Bobby and Dean were approaching.

“Sam!” Dean yelled. He frowned when he saw Sam carrying Angela. “No…” 

Sam looked at Dean, tears in his eyes. “Dean!”

Jake suddenly woke up. He grabbed the knife that Sam had placed on the ground.

“Sam, look out!” Dean yelled.

It was too late. Jake stabbed the knife right through Sam’s back.

“No!” Dean shouted.

Jake twisted the knife, creating a massive wound. Sam fell to his knees, Angela still in his arms. While Bobby chased after Jake, Dean slid to the ground in front of Sam and Angela. He grabbed at Sam’s clothing, trying to keep him conscious.

“Sam!” he yelled. He looked down at Angela. “Angie…” 

Sam fell forward onto Dean’s shoulder.

“Whoa, whoa, Sam. Sam! Hey!” Dean said. “Come here. Let me look at you.”

He placed his hand on Sam’s wound, covering his entire palm in blood.

“Hey, look at me,” Dean said. “It’s not even that bad. It’s not even that bad, all right? And we’re gonna find a way to get Angie back, okay? Sammy?” he whispered. “Sam! Hey, listen to me. We’re gonna patch you up, okay? You’re gonna be good as new, so’s Angie. We’ll get her back. I’m gonna take care of you two. I’m gonna take care of you two. I’ve got you. That’s my job, right? Watch out for my pain-in-the-ass little brother and the girl he likes? Sam? Sam! Sammy!”

Sam’s eyes slid shut. His entire body slumped forward.

“No. No, no, no, no. Oh, God.” Dean said. With tears streaming down his face, Dean held Sam in his arms as he died. Angela was still lying in Sam’s limp arms. “Sam!” Dean yelled.


	26. All Hell Breaks Loose Part 2

Dean sat next to Sam’s and Angela’s dead bodies.

“Dean?” Bobby asked with a bucket of fried chicken.

“No, thanks,” Dean replied. “I’m fine.

“You should eat something.

“I said I’m fine.”

“Dean… I hate to bring this up, I really do.” Bobby replied. “But don’t you think maybe it’s time… we bury Sam and Angela.”

“No.”

“We could,” Bobby sighed. “Maybe…”

“What? Torch their corpses?” Dean asked. “Not yet.”

“I want you to come with me.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Dean, please.”

“Would you cut me some slack?” Dean asked.

“I just don’t think you should be alone, that’s all,” Bobby replied. “I gotta admit, I could use your help.”

Dean snorted.

“Something big is going down, end-of-the-world big,” Bobby said.

“Well, then let it end!”

“You don’t mean that.”

“You don’t think so? Huh? You don’t think I’ve given enough? You don’t think I’ve paid enough?” Dean asked. “I’m done with it. All of it. And if you know what’s good for you, turn around, and get the hell out of here.” Dean said. “Go!” he yelled. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please, just go.”

“You know where I’ll be,” Bobby replied.

He turned his back on Dean and left the motel room. Dean took another look at the bodies and a tear fell from his eyes.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela’s corpses were lying on a mattress. Dean sat next to them, gloomy. He looked at Sam’s corpse.

“You know, when we were little, you couldn’t been more than 5, you just started asking questions,” Dean said. “How come we didn’t have a mom? Why do we always have to move around? Where’d Dad go when he’d take off for days at a time? I remember I begged you, ‘Quite asking Sammy. Man, you don’t want to know.’” He said. “I just wanted you to be a kid… just for a little while longer. I always tried to protect you… keep you safe… Dad didn’t even have to tell me. It was just always my responsibility, you know? It’s like I had one job… I had one job…” he muttered. “Then Angie came along, and you two hit it off. I knew you’d eventually fall for her Sammy, and ya did. You both fell for each other. So I thought I had to protect her for you.” He murmured. “And I screwed it up. I blew it. And for that, I’m sorry.” He said. “I guess that’s what I do. I let down the people I love. I let Dad down. And now I guess I’m just supposed to let you and Angie down, too. How can I? How am I supposed to live with that? What am I supposed to do? Sammy. God. What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?!”

~/~\~

The Impala’s engine revved. Headlights turned on and Dean drove recklessly. He stopped on a dirt road and inserted several items into a box, including a photo ID of himself. He began to bury the box in the middle of the crossroads. Several seconds passed in silence, as Dean looked right and left.

“Oh come on already. Show your face, you bitch!” he yelled.

Suddenly, a beautiful woman in a black dress appeared.

“Easy sugar, you’ll wake the neighbors.” She said. “Dean. It’s so, so good to see you.” She added. “I mean it. Look at you. Gone and got your brother and his girl killed. All alone in the world. It’s too sweet.” She smirked. “Excuse me, you’re gonna have to give me a moment. Sometimes you gotta stop and smell the roses.”

“I should send you straight back to hell,” Dean growled.

“Oh, you should.” She nodded. “But you won’t. And I know why.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Following in Daddy’s footsteps. You wanna make a deal. Little Sammy and Angie back from the dead, and, let me guess, you’re offering up your own soul?”

“There are a hundred other demons who’d love to get their hands on it.” He said. “And it’s all yours. And all you got to do is bring Sam and Angie back. And give me ten years, ten years, and then you come for me.”

“You must be joking.” The demon replied.

“That’s the same deal you give everybody else.”

“You’re not everybody else.” She said. “Why would I want to give you anything? Keep your gutter soul. It’s too tarnished, anyway.” She whispered in his ear.

“Nine years.”

“No.”

“Eight.”

“You keep going, I’ll keep saying no.”

“Okay, five years. Five years and my bill comes due. That’s my last offer, five years or no deal.”

She leaned in for a kiss. “Then no deal.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.” She walked away. “Make sure you bury Sam and Angela before they start stinking up the joint.”

“Wait,” Dean said.

“It’s a fire sale, and everything must go.” She said softly.

“What do I have to do?” he asked.

“First of all, quit groveling. Needy guys are such a turn-off.” She replied. She sighed. “Look… look, I shouldn’t be doing this. I could get in a lot of trouble. But what can I say? I got a blind spot for you, Dean. You’re like a… puppy. You’re just too fun to play with.” She sighed again. “I’ll do it.”

“You’ll bring them back?”

“I will.” She nodded. “And because I’m such a saint, I’ll give you one year. And one year only. But here’s the thing. If you try to welch or weasel your way out, then the deal is off. Sam and Angela drop dead. They’re back to rotten meat in no time. So… it’s a better deal than your dad ever got. What do you say?”

Dean grabbed the demon and kissed her to seal the deal.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela’s eyes opened wide and they sat up on the mattress, looking around, confused, and breathing heavily. They looked at each other.

“Angie?” Sam breathed in disbelief.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were standing in front of a mirror. Sam was examining his back with a look of pain and Angela touched her neck. It felt sore. There was a scar from where the knife was stabbed into his spine. There were fingerprint shape bruises on Angela’s chin. In the distance, a door opened and Dean entered the room.

“Sammy. Angie.” Dean breathed out.

“Hey.” They both greeted.

Dean pulled them both into a tight embrace.

“Ow. Uh, Dean…” Sam said.

“Can’t breathe,” Angela added.

Dean released them. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, guys. I’m just… I’m just happy to see you two up and around, that’s all. Come on, sit down.”

They all sat down.

Sam glanced at Angela. “Okay. Dean… what happened to us?” he frowned. Angela had died instantly… She shouldn’t be alive…

“Well, what do you two remember?” Dean asked.

“I remember Jake coming at me…” Angela whispered. “I was trying to fight him off… then nothing.”

“I, I saw you and Bobby, I was carrying Angela’s body, and felt this pain. This sharp pain, like… like, white-hot, you know, and then you started running at me, and… that’s about it.”

“My body?” Angela frowned. “Did… did I-- she was cut off.

“Yeah, that, that kid, stabbed you in the back.” Dean cut her off and looked at Sam. “You lost a lot of blood. It was pretty touch and go for a while.” He said. He looked at Angela. “You uh, you got knocked out.” He lied.

Angela frowned slightly.

“But Dean, you can’t patch up a wound that bad,” Sam replied. “And I saw Angie--

“No, Bobby could.” Dean cut him off. “Who was that kid, anyway?”

“His name’s Jake,” Angela answered. “Did you get him?”

“No, he disappeared into the woods,” Dean said.

“We got to find him, Dean. And I swear I’m gonna tear that son of a bitch apart.” Sam replied. He stood up, Dean and Angela following suit.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dean said. “Easy there, guys. You two just woke up, all right? Let’s get you two something to eat. Huh? You guys want something to eat?” he asked. Sam and Angela nodded. “I’m starving. Come on.” 

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela were sitting at a table, eating.

“And that’s when you guys showed up,” Sam said. He had left out the part where Jake snapped Angela’s neck.

“That’s awful. Poor Andy.” Dean replied.

“The demon said he only wanted one of us to walk out alive,” Angela commented.

“He told you guys that?”

“Yep.” Sam nodded. He scoffed. “Appeared in a dream.”

“He tell you two anything else?”

Angela shook her head. “No. No. That was it. Nothing else. You know, what I don’t get, Dean, is if the demon only wanted one of us, then how did Jake, Sam, and I get away?”

“Well, I mean, they left you two for dead. I’m sure they thought it was over.” Dean replied. He ate a large bite of pizza. “So now that Yellow Eyes has Jake, what’s he gonna do with him?”

“We don’t know,” Sam said. “But whatever it is, we gotta stop him.”

“Well, hold on. You two need to get your rest. We got time.”

“No, we don’t,” Angela replied.

“Guys, oceans aren’t boiling, okay?” Dean said. “Frogs aren’t raining from the sky. Let’s get you guys your strength back first.”

“Well did you call the Roadhouse?” Angela asked. “Do they know anything?”

“Yeah.”

“Dean… what is it?” Sam frowned.

Dean sat down. “The Roadhouse burned to the ground. Ash is dead. Probably Ellen, a lot of other hunters, too.”

“Demons?” Angela asked.

“Yeah, we think so. We think because Ash found something.”

“What did he find?” Sam asked.

“Bobby’s working on that right now.”

“Well, come on then. Bobby’s only a few hours away.” Sam began to stand.

Dean stood also and grabbed Sam by the shoulders. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop, Sam, stop. Dammit. You almost died there. I mean, what would I have, you just take care of yourself for a little bit, huh? Just for a little bit?”

“I’m sorry. No.”

Angela stood and nodded. “I have to agree with Sam, Dean.”

Dean shook his head.

~/~\~

The Impala drove down a road.

~/~\~

A hand knocked on a door. Bobby opened the door and looked at Sam and Angela with astonishment.

“Hey, Bobby,” Dean said.

“Hey, Bobby.” Sam and Angela said.

“Sam. Angie,” Bobby replied. “It’s good to see… you two up and around.”

“Yeah, well… thanks for patching us up,” Sam said.

“Don’t mention it.” Bobby nodded.

“Well, Sam and Angie are better,” Dean said. “And we’re back in it now, so… what do you know?”

~/~\~

“Well, I found something,” Bobby said. “But I’m not sure what the hell it means.”

“What is it?” Angela asked curiously.

“Demonic omens… like a frickin’ tidal wave,” Bobby answered. “Cattle deaths. Lightning storms. They skyrocketed from out of nowhere. Here.” He pointed to Wyoming on a map. “All around here, except for one place… southern Wyoming.”

“Wyoming?” Dean asked.

“Yeah.” Bobby nodded. “That one area’s totally clean, spotless. It’s almost as if…”

“What?” Sam asked.

“The demons are surrounding it,” Bobby replied.

“But you don’t know why?” Dean asked.

“No, and by this point, my eyes are swimming,” Bobby replied. “Sam, Angie, would you take a look at it? Maybe you could catch something I couldn’t.”

“Yeah, sure.” Angela nodded.

“Come on, Dean. I got some more books in the truck. Help me lug ‘em in.”

“Yeah,” Dean said.

~/~\~

Dean and Bobby were walking in the junkyard. Finally, Bobby stopped and turned to face Dean.

“You stupid ass!” Bobby yelled. “What did you do? What did you do?!” he pushed Dean. “You made a deal… For Sam and Angie, didn’t you? How long did they give you?”

“Bobby.”

“How long?!”

“One year.”

“Dammit, Dean,” Bobby muttered.

“Which is why we gotta find this yellow-eyed son of a bitch.” Dean replied. “That’s why I’m gonna kill him myself. I got nothing to lose now, right?”

Bobby grabbed Dean by the collar. “I could throttle you!”

“And send me downstairs ahead of schedule?”

He let go of Dean. “What is it with you Winchesters, huh? You, your dad. You’re both just itching to throw yourselves down the pit.”

“That’s my point. Dad brought me back, Bobby. I’m not even supposed to be here. At least this way, something good could come out of it, you know? It’s like my life could mean something.”

“What? And it didn’t before?! Have you got that low of an opinion of yourself? Are you that screwed in the head?!” he grabbed Dean again.

Dean was choking up. “I couldn’t let them die, Bobby. I couldn’t. He’s my brother and she’s one of my best friends.”

“How’re they gonna feel when they know you’re going to hell? How’d you feel when you knew your dad went for you?”

“You can’t tell them. You can take a shot at me. Whatever you got to do, but please don’t tell them.”

Bobby began to cry, grabbing Dean’s chin. Suddenly, there was a clank from a distant part of the junkyard. Bobby and Dean crawled to the side of a car, and grabbed the intruder. Once they had her by the shoulders, they recognized her as Ellen.

“Ellen?” Dean asked. She nodded. “Ellen. Oh, God.”

~/~\~

Ellen and Bobby were sitting at a table. He poured her a shot of liquid from a flash and pushed it towards her.

“Bobby, is this really necessary?” she asked.

“Just a belt of Holy Water, shouldn’t hurt.” Bobby shrugged.

She lifted the shot glass to her mouth and swallowed the water. “Whiskey now, if you don’t mind.”

“Ellen, what happened? How’d you get out?” Dean asked.

“I wasn’t supposed to. I was supposed to be in there with everybody else.” She replied. She scoffed. “But we ran out of pretzels, off all things. It was just dumb luck.” She drank the whiskey Bobby poured for her and exhaled sharply. “Anyway, that’s when Ash called. Panic in his voice.” She sighed. “He told me to look in the safe. Then the call cut out. By the time I got back, the flames were sky-high. And everybody was dead. I couldn’t have been gone more than fifteen minutes.”

Angela put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Sorry, Ellen.” She murmured.

Ellen was tearing up. “A lot of good people died in there. And I got to live.” She scoffed. “Lucky me.”

“Ellen, you mentioned a safe,” Bobby said.

“A hidden safe we keep in the basement.” She nodded.

“Demons get what was in it?” Bobby asked.

“No.” she pulled out a map from her pocket, unfolding it and setting it down on the table. It had several black lines and X’s on it.

“Wyoming,” Dean said. “What does that mean?” Dean asked, pointing to the lines.

~/~\~

Bobby was reading from a large book.

“I don’t believe it.” He said, setting the book on the table.

“What? You got something?” Sam asked.

“A lot more than that.” Bobby nodded. “Each of these X’s,” he pointed to the marks on the map. “Is an abandoned frontier church, all mid-19th century. And all of them built by Samuel Colt.”

“Samuel Colt, the demon-killing, gun-making Samuel Colt?” Dean asked.

“Yep.” Bobby nodded. “And there’s more. He built private railway lines.” He pointed to the black lines on the map. “Connecting church to church. It just happened to lay out like this.” He connected the points on the map until the shape of a star was made.

“Tell me that’s not what I think it is,” Dean said.

“It’s a devil’s trap. A 100-square mile devil’s trap.” Angela muttered.

“That’s brilliant. Iron lines demons can’t cross.” Dean said.

“I’ve never heard of anything that massive,” Ellen added.

“No one has,” Bobby replied.

“And after all these years none of these lines are broken?” Dean asked. “I mean, it still works?”

“Definitely.” Sam nodded.

“How do you know?” Dean asked.

“All those omens Bobby found,” Angela said. “I mean the demons, they must be circling and they can’t get in.”

“Yeah, well… they’re trying,” Bobby said.

“Why? What’s inside?” Ellen asked.

“That’s what I’ve been looking for. And, uh, there’s nothing except an old cowboy cemetery right in the middle.” Dean replied.

“Well, what’s so important about a cemetery or… what’s Colt trying to protect?” Sam asked.

“Well, unless…” Dean said.

“Unless what?” Bobby asked.

“What if Colt wasn’t trying to keep the demons out?” Dean asked. “What if he was trying to keep something in?”

Angela looked at Dean. “That’s brilliant, Dean.”

“Well, that’s a comforting thought,” Ellen muttered.

Dean smiled at Angela slightly. “Thanks.” He replied. He looked at Ellen. “Yeah, you think?”

“Could they do it, Bobby? Could they get inside?” Sam asked.

“This thing’s so powerful, you’d practically need an A-bomb to destroy it,” Bobby said. “No way a full-blood demon gets across.”

“No.” Angels muttered. She paused and looked at Sam. “But we know who could.”

~/~\~

It was nighttime. A cemetery gate opened and Jake entered, walking towards a crypt. Dean was standing behind a large tomb, gun in hand.

“Howdy, Jake,” Sam said.

“Good to see ya,” Angela added.

Sam, Angela, Bobby, and Ellen appeared from the shadows, guns raised.

“Wait… you two were dead. I killed you two.” Jake replied. “You saw Angela die, Sam.”

Angela frowned. “What?” she asked. She looked at Sam. “What?” she repeated.

Sam glanced at her, then looked back at Jake. “Yeah? Well next time, finish the job.”

“I did! I cut through your spinal cord, man. I snapped Angela’s neck!” Jake replied. Sam and Angela glanced at Dean. “You two can’t be alive. You two can’t be.”

“Okay, just take it real easy there, son,” Bobby said.

“And if I don’t?”

“Wait and see.” Angela and Sam said.

“What, you two are all tough all of a sudden? What are you gonna do, kill me?”

“It’s a thought,” Angela said.

“You two had your chance. You couldn’t.”

“We won’t make that mistake twice,” Sam replied.

Jake began to laugh.

“What are you smiling at, you little bitch?” Dean asked.

“Hey lady, do me a favor,” Jake said to Ellen. “Put that gun to your head.” He added. She pointed her gun to her temple. “See that Ava girl was right. Once you give in to it, there’s all sorts of new Jedi mind tricks you can learn.”

“Let her go,” Sam said.

“Shoot him.” Ellen’s voice trembled.

“You’ll be mopping up her skull before you get a shot off.” He said. He paused. “Everybody, put your guns down. Except for you, sweetheart.” Four guns dropped. “Okay. Thank you.”

Jake turned around and pulled the Colt out of his pocket. While he was inserting it into the crypt, Dean and Bobby grabbed Ellen before she could shoot herself just as Sam shot Jake twice in the back, and Angela shot him twice more. Jake fell onto the ground, and Sam positioned himself in front of him. Angela walked over to Ellen, wrapping a comforting arm around her.

“Please… don’t. Please.” Jake gasped.

Sam shot Jake three more times in the chest. The five watched as two separate engravings on the crypt spun in different directions, then stopped.

“Oh, no,” Bobby said.

“Bobby, what is it?” Ellen asked.

“It’s hell,” Bobby said.

Dean pulled the Colt from the crypt.

“Take cover, now!” Bobby yelled.

All five ran behind the tombstones as the doors of the crypt burst open. A large black mass erupted from the other side and shot outward. The demons breached the devil’s trap and escaped.

“What the hell just happened?!” Dean yelled.

“That’s a devil’s gate. A damn door to hell.” Ellen said.

The railway was bent in two and a pair of legs crossed.

“Come on! We gotta shut that gate!” Ellen yelled.

Dean checked the Colt for bullets.

“If the demon gave this to Jake… the maybe…” Dean said.

Thunder crashed and the Yellow-Eyed Demon appeared behind Dean. He flung the Colt out of Dean’s hands and into his own.

“A boy shouldn’t play with Daddy’s guns.” He said. He threw Dean into the air, where Dean hit his head on a tombstone.

“Dean!” Sam and Angela yelled.

Sam let go of the gate door and Angela pulled away from Ellen. They ran to Dean.

The Yellow-Eyed Demon threw Sam against a tree and threw Angela against a large tombstone.

“I’ll get to you two in a minute, guys. But I’m proud of you two, know you two had it in you.” He said. He paralyzed Dean. “Sit a spell. So, Dean… I got to thank you. You see, demons can’t resurrect people unless a deal is made. I know, red tape, it’ll make you nuts. But thanks to you, Sammy and Angie are back in rotation.” He laughed. “Now, I wasn’t counting on that, but I’m glad. Now I just have to pit them against each other. I like Sam better than Jake, anyhow. Tell me, have you ever heard the expression, ‘If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is’?”

“You call that deal good?” Dean asked.

“Well, it’s a better shake than your dad ever got. And you never wondered why? I’m surprised at you. I mean… you saw what your brother and Angie did to Jake, right? That was pretty cold, wasn’t it?” he chuckled. “How certain are you that what you brought back, is 100% Sam and Angela?” he laughed. “You of all people should know, that what’s dead, should stay dead. Anyway… thanks a bunch. I knew I kept you alive for some reason. Until now, anyway. I couldn’t have done it without your pathetic, self-loathing, self-destructive desire to sacrifice yourself for your family and friends.”

As the Yellow-Eyed Demon cocked the Colt, John Winchester grabbed the demon from behind. The body the demon possessed fell to the ground, the gun still in hand, while John and the Yellow-Eyed Demon wrestled. The demon pushed him to the ground and entered the body once more. When he stood up, Dean shot him with the Colt. The demon then fell to the ground, dead.

Bobby and Ellen closed the gate doors and turned to see John. The father put his hand on Dean’s shoulder, both were crying, while Sam on the other side, gave his father a nod. Angela nodded to John too. With another look at Dean, John stepped back and disappeared.

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela were standing over the demon’s smoking body, astonished.

“Well, check that off the to-do list,” Dean said.

“You did it,” Angela said.

“I didn’t do it alone.”

“Do you think Dad really… do you think he really climbed outta hell?” Sam asked Dean.

“The door was open. If anyone’s stubborn enough to do it… it would be him.”

“Where do you think he is now?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know.”

“I kind of can’t believe it, Dean. I mean… our whole lives, everything… has been prepping for this, and now I…” Sam chuckled. “I kind of don’t know what to say.”

“I do,” Dean said. He leaned closer to the body. “That was for our mom, and Angela’s mom… you son of a bitch.”

~/~\~

Sam, Angela, and Dean walked towards the Impala.

“You know, when Jake saw me and Sam… it was like he saw two ghosts,” Angela said. She scoffed. “I mean, hell, you heard him, Dean. He said he killed me and Sam. Hell, he said Sam saw him kill me.”

Sam frowned. He had… He had carried her lifeless body.

“I’m glad he was wrong,” Dean said.

“I don’t think he was, Dean. I mean… I carried Angela’s lifeless body.” Sam replied. “What happened… after I was stabbed and Angela was dead?”

Angela looked at Sam, frowning. “You saw me die?” 

Sam nodded. “Yeah…” 

“I already told you two,” Dean said.

“Not everything, apparently,” Angela replied.

“Sam, Angie, we just killed the demon. Can we celebrate?”

“Did we die?” Angela asked.

“Oh, come on,” Dean said.

“Did you sell your soul for us, like Dad did for you?” Sam asked.

“Oh, come on! No!” Dean exclaimed.

“Tell us the truth,” Angela replied. Dean sniffled. “Dean, tell us the truth.”

“Sam… Angie…” Dean said. He chuckled.

“How long do you get?” Sam asked, his voice breaking.

“One year. I got one year.”

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Angela replied. “How could you do that?”

“Don’t you two get man at me. Don’t you do that? I had to.” Dean replied. “I had to look out for you two. That’s my job.”

“And what do you think our job is?” Sam asked.

“What?” Dean asked.

“You’ve saved my life over and over. You’ve saved Angela a few times too.” Sam replied. “I mean, you sacrificed everything for me and Angie. Don’t you think we’d do the same for you? You’re my big brother. Angie considers you to be family. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for you. And we don’t care what it takes, we’re gonna get you out of this. Guess we gotta save your ass for a change.”

Angela smiled softly. “It’s true Dean. You’re family to me, you are. I’d do anything for you.” She whispered. She hugged him quickly. “Anything.” She assured him.

“Yeah,” Dean replied.

Ellen approached. “Well… Yellow-Eyed Demon might be dead. But a lot more got through that gate.”

“How many, you think?” Dean asked.

“Hundred,” Sam said. “Maybe two hundred. It’s an army. He’s unleashed an army.”

“Hope to hell you three are ready,” Bobby said. “’Cause the war has just begun.”

“Well, then,” Dean replied.

Sam, Angela, and Dean opened the Impala’s trunk. Dean threw the Colt inside and closed it.

“We got work to do,” Dean said with a sense of finality.


End file.
